Unpredictable Tenderness (Levi Fanfiction)
by ILKH
Summary: Amai has lived in the underground all her life, she was sold into human labour. After many years being stuck in the underground she finally gets to see the surface. Living in fear of others she finally meets someone she can relate to, despite how harsh they can be. Striving for a life above ground she is forced to join the survey corps in order to stay. Attack on titan/AOT LevixOC
1. Glimpse of sunlight

Amai POV~

I should never have trusted her.

Then I wouldn't be in this situation.

Horse hoofs pounded along the ground as carriages drove past. The dirt road was dry, dust was kicked off of the ground sending particles swirling away with the wind. The blue sky was beginning to fade into a vibrant orange. Any other day I would have been overjoyed to see a glimpse of sunlight, to finally be on the surface. The sun was warm as it bared down on my back, but the cold metal muzzle of the gun on my back snapped me back to reality. I shuffled down the road shrouded in a large cloak while two men stayed close behind. I could run, but what was the point if they would shoot then and there. Its not like I was their top worker, I was expendable, I was replaceable.

"Keep moving" The man behind me grunted into my ear pressing the gun harder against my back, I slightly sped up the pace trying to keep them happy. The chains binding my hands together were warming in the evening sun. I held out my fingers, sunlight touching them for the first time although I was ecstatic, I kept my feelings hidden with a blank expression.

"We're here" they said from behind me, still not moving the gun. I stopped immediately and looked down at my hands slightly frowning, this was going to be the last time I would be able to touch the sunlight for a long time. I turned to see a townhouse no different to the others apart from a flag billowing on a pole at the entrance of the house, but I knew what was waiting for me inside. A disgusting creature, ready to strip me of my last pieces of purity. Though I have done this so many times, today was different, I was finally on the surface after 22 years of my life. We walked towards the door, the sun disappearing off my skin as the house blocked the light from getting through. One of the men stepped forwards an knocked on the solid wooden doors, the dull thudding rang through the air.

"Don't fuck this one up, this is one of the only customers we got up here and they pay good money for girls like you" The man still behind me said, putting a hand on my shoulder and squeezed hard, surely going to leave bruises. I flinched at his touch, my heart skipped faster with fear as I heard footsteps approach the door. It creaked open to reveal, a man most likely in his thirties his blonde hair covered his dirty face.

"Bring her in" He said leaving the door open, we walked through into the dark building. The door slammed shut behind me, I hated that noise. The gun on my back lowered as we walked into the kitchen. Candle light lit the small dim room as sunlight began to disappear, the client sat down in a chair at the table.

"Wheres the money?" the man behind me asked, the client glared at him before pulling out a wad of money. He placed it on the table, hand covering it like a cage. I eyed it off, I gulped at the sheer amount of it.

"Let me see her first, or the deals off " the client demanded, looking me up and down trying to decipher what I looked like behind the cloak that shrouded me.

"Fine" my employer grunted pulling off my hood quickly, I could feel his eyes scanning over my features. He got up taking the money with him and moved towards me, lifting his arms he opened up my cloak revealing my body under just a tank top and skin tight shorts. He towered over me my head, me only reaching his chest. I shifted uncomfortably under his stare, his eyes running over me like a ravished wolf looks at its prey.

"A bit short, but she sure is pretty" he said grinning, he placed a hand on my cheek and ran it down my neck. I clenched my fist in an attempt to stop myself from punching him, but I didn't dare as one of my employers was still armed with a gun.

"I take it we will be leaving now" My employers said, happy that it was a success. They took the money from his hand and counted through it greedily. They took my hands and undid the chains binding them together, the chains clanked loudly as they fell off my arms. After they left the room he licked his lips, and pressed me against the wall he bent down slightly. My hands were pinned to the wall, my legs were free to move as I formulated a plan in my head. As soon as the door to the outside clicked our lips crashed together. It was rough and detached, I grunted in protest.

"Shut up Bitch" He said pushing me to the ground, I crashed against the cold stone floor. My shoulder left hit the ground taking much of the impact, causing a large crack to sound throughout the kitchen. I attempted to get up but was pushed back down again, I looked out the kitchen window it was dark out. Hands threw my cloak across the room as it was pulled off me, the material fluttered as it fell to the ground. He was directly on top of me pinning me to the ground by my hands, my legs between his thighs. I hissed at the pressure my injured shoulder was under. Before he could make contact with me yet again I lifted my legs to knee him in the stomach, he gagged as I made contact and toppled backwards. Before I could react he yelled and tried to gain control yet again, grabbing my legs pulling me towards him. I wriggled loose pulling my leg with all my force, and kicked him in the jaw I grinned as I heard a satisfying crack. He groaned as he lay on the ground covering his face blood dripping down his hands. Adrenaline rushed through my body as I gasped on the ground. Getting to my feet I ran to my cloak and grabbed the thin material, dodging around his writhing body I ran out of the kitchen. Putting my coat on as quickly as I could, I reached for the door handle but was dragged back by force. I looked back to see him holding onto my coat as he scrambled to his feet.

"Why you little" he screamed at he running toward me at full force, I reacted quickly as he began to pull me back towards him handful by handful of the material, he was determined to taint me. I pulled back with equal amount of force causing the material to fray, allowing it to rip, the coat now only covered the top half of my body. I took my chance and ran forward and grabbed the door handle. As soon as the door opened his hand grabbed my injured shoulder and pulled me back roughly, I held back my scream of pain as he wrapped his hands around my body trying to contain me. My shoulder twisted uncomfortably under his grip, I struggled to get out. Lifting up my foot I stomped down hard on his foor, he groaned in pain giving me enough time to raise my right arm to elbow him in the face. He stumbled backwards, releasing his grip on me. I swung around and as fast as I could, forming my hand into a fist I used all my force to punch him in the stomach. He retched and fell to his knees, his breathing shallow. I delivered the final blow of kicking him in the side of his face, his eyes rolled into the back of his head as he fell to the ground. he stayed still, the only sign of moment was breathing he was unconscious.

I walked out the door into the cold streets, closing it behind me. I felt my chest tightening in the cold air, panic still running through my system. I gasped to let the frigid air into my lungs, I looked back to see nothing, only the dimly lit streets that were full of life less than an hour ago. I clutched my shoulder, trying to ease the pain that throbbed throughout it. The cool wind caused my black hair to sway in the wind. I reached back and pulled over my hood, my coat barely covered my back only worsening the cold I already felt. I looked up at the night sky for the first time in my life, little white stars littered the pitch black abyss. The moon of which I had only heard from stories shone brightly in the sky as the blue light cascaded onto the buildings below. Despite how astonished I was I shook my head and kept walking. I needed to find somewhere to stay. This time I wasn't going to be caught, I had a chance above the surface. The attempts in the underground were futile, I was caught and taken back to wherever I escaped from. I gave up trying for years, but as soon as I heard about this something clicked inside of me. My footsteps were lonely along the road, I hugged myself in an attempt to keep warm, my breath was visible in the cold air.

"Hey you, kid!" I heard a voice calling from behind me, I turned around quickly. I had been so wrapped up in my thought I hadn't noticed them, I was such an idiot, if they find out I'm here without a permit, I'll be sent back to the underground or worse. I saw two me dressed up, those uniforms I knew them from somewhere, my breath hitched in my throat as I stopped dead in my tracks. I turned to face the figures approaching me, It was the military police. They ran towards me, armed with rifles I noticed they were two men one wit brown hair and the other with black. I began to slowly back away, my vision flicked in front of me as I began to panic. Did they know what was happening?

"Whats a kid like you doing on the streets at night?" One of them said as they stood in front of me, their brown hair flicking in front of their face the other stood calmly and just stared at me. I stood my ground ready to defend myself if I needed to, though there was little chance I could stand up to them with my shoulder. Anger pored through my veins, they assumed I was a kid due to my height, the hood covered my face hiding my identity. I held my injured shoulder tighter as it continued to ache with pain. His eyes laid on my clothes beneath my torn cloak and the tight shorts I was wearing, a smirk spread across his lips. I caught his eye and realized what he was doing, I shifted the cloak to cover up as much as I could.

"Come on kid, lets get you home" The brown haired man said reaching out to me, his hand aimed towards my injured shoulder. I raised my right hand and slapped it away, the sound breaking through the silence in the empty area. His attitude turned from cocky to agitated, he clenched his hand into a fist.

"Don't touch me" I growled, worried what would happen if they did. He snarled at me as he clutched his gun, my heart began to race as I tried to think of a way to escape without sustaining further injury. I kept my head low trying to keep my face in the shadows, I stepped backwards as his fist tightened.

"You're coming with us" The other said reaching out to my arms, once again I slapped it away. This time I stepped forward and sung my fist into his face, the brown haired soldier looked in bewilderment as his comrade fell onto his back groaning. My hood falling off my face during the process, revealing my face to them. The one still standing growled and pulled his gun out and aimed it at me. I grimaced, how was I supposed to get out of this. I tightened my fist again as I stepped backwards forcefully, he stepped forwards slowly raising his gun to eye level.

"Stand down" He said sternly, finger on trigger. I looked at the other soldier on the ground, he was beginning to get up. I had one of two choices, to kick the gun from his hand or surrender. In other words, have a chance at being free for once in my life with a possibility of being killed or give up my last chance to ever get out of the underground, and return to the life I led before. I took the obvious one and sent the gun flying from his hands, a shot was fired through the air as I kicked it. The sound echoed through the city, a burning pain hit me across the side of my head. The bullet had grazed the side of my skull, sticky blood dripped down the side of my face. The gun clattered on the ground behind him, within a split second I reacted, kicking the gut in the stomach sending him flying backwards landing on his gun. While I kicked the other in the face as he sat up, the blow sent him back to the ground. I began to step away slowly as they lay on the ground, glad they didn't touch me. I calmed down and pushed off my feet forcefully to step away, but collided with somebody. I stepped away and whirled around, It was another soldier but of a different division.


	2. A Futile Attempt

Amai:

My head seared in pain as if somebody had pressed a red hot bar against it. My vision was blurry as I watched the figure in front of me, I couldn't make out her face under the dim light. I could barely see the emblem on their shirt, it was two wings crossed over, one was blue while the other was a crisp white, _where had I seen them before?_ Reacting purely out of fear, I swung out a fist which collided with their nose, she stumbled back slightly. I h _ave to get away, they will hurt me._ My legs seemed so weak, they were about to give way any second. The woman straightened up, I paid no attention to my legs as I swung at her again, this time she was ready and blocked my attack. She mumbled something incoherent as she waved her hands in the air, I couldn't hear her as my ears rung. I was becoming desperate as black begun to creep into the edges of my vision, I lifted my leg and kicked her in the stomach with a precise blow. I could see her double over coughing as my vision started to fade. Before I knew it, my legs buckled under me, I could feel my body hit the hardened ground. A sharp pain shot through my head as I landed where I was shot, I attempted to cry out in pain but all that came out was a whimper. _How pathetic could I be?_ That was the last thing I could muster before my breathing slowed and I fell out of consciousness.

 _Everything was black,_

 _The deafening silence was broken by a slight chirping sound,_

 _At first the sound was so soft and delicate you could barely notice it,_

 _Now it was coming closer until it was no longer a whisper but instead a mixture of beautiful melodies combined,_

 _The noise danced in my eardrums creating vivid imagery,_

 _Allowing my thoughts to flow like a river,_

 _The sweet singing allowed me to see golden sunlight illuminating the land beneath my view, sparkling streams of aqua and rolling hills covered by lush green grass,_

 _I soaked in the view enjoying the soft greenery beneath my feet and the warmth of the sunlight,_

 _But the noise was beginning to become louder and louder as more chirping joined the chorus,_

 _The beautiful scenery faded as it was replaced with a dark liquid,_

 _Water swirled vigorously as I tried to keep my head afloat,_

 _I wanted to get away from this place but as the noise became a sharp shrill the water became rougher,_

 _I gasped and coughed as I dragged in ragged breaths as waves crashed on top of me sending me tumbling beneath the water,_

 _My legs and arms flailed trying to reach the surface before I slipped into unconsciousness,_

 _The sound had accumulated into what seemed to be screams of anguish,_

 _The noise hurt my ears as it continued, bile began to rise in my throat as I was being suffocated,_

 _No matter how hard I tried I couldn't reach the surface, using my limbs to push upwards I tried desperately to ascend,_

 _The water was cold against my body, everything was pitch black and I could no longer see the surface,_

 _The noise was now unbearable, I could feel myself about to slip into the darkness that was eager to consume me,_

 _I felt as if my eardrums were going to burst as I wished for the noise to stop,_

 _I closed my eyes and let out a scream, one that was inaudible over the piercing shriek,_

 _Silence._

 _I opened my eyes again to see myself kneeling on the ground in pitch black once again,_

 _A few feet in front of me was a single ray of light coming from above,_

 _The rythmic noise of fluttering wings sounded before it became silent again,_

 _A small black spec was falling slowly in the light swinging from side to side,_

 _As it neared I could see it was a single feather,_

 _I got to my feet as I watched it fall gently onto the ground,_

 _Running as fast as I could I made my way to the ray of light,_

 _Kneeling down I looked at the feather,_

 _It was a light shade of blue,_

 _More vivid than any colour that I had seen before one that made me think of skies on the clearest day without a cloud in sight,_

 _Reaching down I picked it up tenderly in my hands,_

 _As soon as I made contact with it a voice echoed from around me,_

 _"Please forgive me"_

 _My father. . ._

My head was pounding with pain, my mouth was dry making hard to swallow, my eyelids were heavy. _Where was I?_ Slowly my eyes fluttered open, I blinked a few times to focus my eyes before looking around. Above me was a cream ceiling, blinking slowly I rolled my head to my left. Blue moonlight filtered through an open window, the breeze caused the curtain to flutter, the moonlight illuminated the room with a hazy blue tinge. The room had washed out white brick walls with large wooden beams running around the ceiling for support. On the far side of the room was a large wooden door, a few cabinets were placed against the wall. Beside my bed was a table, it had a glass accompanied by a large cream jug and a vase of flowers. I sat up slowly, pain shot through my shoulder as I adjusted my position. I looked down to see my left arm in a sling, I groaned quietly, __What did I do to myself?_ _ Ignoring it I reached over to the jug with my right arm, clasping the handle in my hand I slowly poured myself a glass of water. Water splashed over the table as I shakily placed the jug back, I silently cursed to myself for making a mess. I picked up the glass and allowed the cool liquid to quench my thirst. The pounding in my head slightly subsided after drinking the water, wiping my mouth I tried to recollect what had happened that night. After I had been shot I don't remember what had happened, only slight images of a person flashed in my mind. _Did they bring me here? And where was here?_ Instinctively I reached up to where the bullet had hit, the bandage wrapping it was soaked in blood. The hair around it was matted with the liquid, I hissed in disgust of how disgusting my hair was. I shook my head, _I needed to get out of here._ If they found I was here without a permit I would be sent back underground, I couldn't let that happen. If I did go back the people that I was forced to work for would find me, and the punishment would be worse than usual this time. I inwardly shuddered at the memory that instantly flashed into my mind of a sharp blade stained red with my blood glinting under a dim light before it struck me.

I immediately threw off my sheets, the cold air from the opened window blew softly against myskin. Placing my bare feet on the cold wooden ground I slowly stood up, my legs felt weak beneath me, I ignored it and continued moving, with my head slightly pounding I headed over to the window. The cool breeze nipped at my skin as I looked out to the land below, beneath the moon was fields that merged into rolling mountains, I gasped at the sheer beauty the scenery displayed. The pain in my head seemed to disappear as I took in the view, I leant against the wooden frame of the window. The leaves on the trees turned sliver in the moonlight, the wind blew through them rustling them ever so slightly. The sky was littered with little orbs of light, stars, they formed intricate patterns that decorated the inky sky. The moon was a large sphere that let light cascade onto the land below, the luminous white surface was dappled with blotches of grey. I was in awe of how something couldbe so beautiful, was this what people on the surface saw every night? Reluctantly I pulled myself away from the scene and focused on the task at hand, looking down from the window I realised I was at least two stories up. There was no way with an injured shoulder I could make my way down the stone wall, sighing I turned to face the room. The throbbing in my head became noticeable again as soon as I looked around. Before I could even start to escape I needed to find my boots, I wasn't bothered about looking for my cloak as it was already damaged, trudging around the room I couldn't find them on the empty floor. Next, I tried the cabinets, opening the wooden door I spotted the black boots on the bottom shelf. I placed them on the ground in front of me, using my good arm as support against the cabinet I raised my right foot I slid it into the shoes. The leather squeaked under pressure as I wriggled my foot trying to get my heel into the boot, using my right hand I pulled up the back of the boot allowing my foot to slip in with ease. I did the same process with my left foot, once I had the shoes fitted comfortably I straightened up. My legs were still wobbly beneath me, every step was tiring and If I wasn't careful they would give way beneath me. I began to head over to my second option, the door. Floorboards creaked beneath my weight, I cringed at the sound in fear that someone may wake up. Reaching the door handle I turned it slowly, pulling the door towards me I opened it. To my relief, the door was silent as I swung it open, poking my head out I looked down the hall.

The stone walkway was barely illuminated by the torches that lined the walls, the orange glow of the flame faded into the pitch-black shadows. To my right, I could see multiple doors down the hall, one was slightly ajar allowing a stream of light through the slight gap _. Were they still awake?_ I couldn't take that chance, trying to find a solution I looked to my left. The hall stopped abruptly, a stone wall was a few doors down from me. I grimaced at the fact I would have to walk past the open door, hopefully they were asleep. Stepping outside of my room I began to make my way cautiously down the hall, I took care with every step not to make a noise. I had made my way past the first few doors and I had now arrived at the door that was slightly open. There was no sound from inside, was it possible somebody just left the candles going? Despite knowing that I should get past as soon as soon as possible I couldn't resist the urge to peek through the gap, leaning forward I looked through the doorway. Inside candles lit up the room giving it an orange haze, the room was spotless without a speck of dirt inside. Every surface seemed to shine despite the little light, bookshelves and cabinets lined the room. Books stacked in their shelves in perfect formation, in the middle of the room was a wooden desk. It was as clean as the rest of the room with very little stationary and a single book on the edge of the desk. Sighing with relief I turned my head away and looked back down the hallway. Moving backwards quickly, my left shoulder hit the door frame. I yelped in surprise to the sudden jolt of pain through my shoulder. Covering my mouth, I began to walk quickly down the hall being careful not to trip with my unstable legs. I breathed heavily as I willed my legs to move faster. That noise could have costed me my chance to get out of this place, if only I didn't look in that room. I mentally slapped myself for doing such a stupid thing, making sure to not make any noise I kept walking. Looking behind I couldn't see anyone coming out of their rooms, I sighed in relief, I was lucky this time. Making my way to the end of the hall I noticed there was a stairway leading down to another level. I took a large breath at the top of the stairs, my legs were going to be a problem if I wasn't careful. I began to move one foot out slowly to go onto the stair below, placing it down gently, I used the wall to help stabilize myself. Slowly but surely I descended down the stairs, being careful not to make a sound as I did so. After going down the first flight of stairs I could feel sweat beading on my forehead as the pain in my head worsened. I furrowed my eyebrows as I continued down the long hallway in order to reach the other stairs. My legs wavered with every step I took, It seemed as if I was going to fall at any given moment. _I'm so weak._ I continued slowly down the hall, my hand gripping onto the wall for support. The palm of my hand soon became rough and calloused as I clung to the the wall. My focus was solely to keep myself from falling. I couldn't stay here, I needed to get away from here, whoever was in this place would just send me back to the underground.

A quiet clicking sound began to become present, I lifted my head up quickly to look down the dimly lit hall. I squinted my eyes to try and see if anyone was approaching, a bead of sweat rolled down my forehead and off the tip of my nose. My breathing was laboured as I leant against the wall in exhaustion, where was the noise coming from? I closed one eye as I looked ahead, I watched the end of the hall intently as I tried to depict where the noise was located. It echoed up the hall, as it became louder I realized it was the sound of footsteps. I could barely make out the hallway in the weak lighting given off by the torches, I began to panic. _Where was I going to hide?_ In front of me the hallway was bare, whipping my head back I saw nothing in the stone hall. All I could see was multiple doors lining the stone walls, _should I hide in one of the rooms?_ But the more I thought about the worse the idea got, if there were people behind the doors I would be worse off. My eyes widened as I watched a figure come around the corner, I gulped as I thought of what to do. Thinking of my first idea I stumbled over to the door a few meters in front of me, holding the wall to stabilize me the whole way. A soon as I was close enough I reached out to the door handle, as I did so my legs collided and the next thing I knew I was on the ground. I grunted as I desperately tried to get up, ignoring the pain in my shoulder after I knocked it on the ground. Using my right hand I pushed up with all my strength, but I could barely get a few inches off the ground before falling back down. My legs were like lead, they were too heavy to move. I felt as if a weight was pressing down on me making it impossible for me to get up. The ground was cold beneath my body as I listened to the footsteps approaching, I clenched my hand into a fist. I was determined to get up, I had to get out of here, who knows what they will do to me. Placing it on the ground I mustered all I could to push myself up, I didn't care if they saw me as long a I could get up and keep moving. I was now in a crawling position on my right hand and knees, the footsteps were right beside me, my breath hitched in my throat as they stopped when they reached me. Slowly I turned my head to the side, I could see brown boots reaching up to the persons knees underneath was white pants with multiple harnesses attached. I looked up to try and see the persons face but it was covered in shadows, I could see the emblem on his jacket, the two wings one blue and the other white. _Why did I have to be so clumsy to fall over like this?_ I looked back down at the ground again a scowl taking over my features.

"What the hell are you doing out of bed?" A voice said from the person standing above me, his voice was quiet I could barely hear it myself. I didn't reply as I continued to stare at the ground, I was meaning to be stubborn words wouldn't form in my mouth, I was terrified.

"What? You can't talk now brat?" He said, the tone of his voice changing to an irritated one I flinched slightly as I could hear him getting annoyed. I turned my head towards him trying to study features of his face, but it was still unrecognizable. I became annoyed at his statement, calling me a brat.

"Don't call me that. . . I'm not a brat" I said quietly as another bead of sweat ran down my face, the energy I was using to hold myself up was exhausting. I inhaled a deep breath trying to calm myself, using all the strength I could I lifted legs into a kneeling position. Pushing up wards and using the wall to stabilize myself I put my weight on my feet and stood upright. I breathed heavily as I closed my eyes to try and regain some energy. I felt a small spark of accomplishment as I stood up against the wall, it was as if I had achieved something amazing.

"Answer the question" He replied, my chest heaved as I tried to muster a response. I opened my eyes and whipped my head around to face him, I could see his face clearly now. He was barely taller than me only a few centimeters separated us from being identical height. He had short black hair styled into an undercut, his fringe covered partial of his forehead. His small and intimidating eyes bore into mine, they shone in the dim light giving them the appearance of being orange. His thin eyebrows were knitted together only adding to the menacing look he was giving me. My eyes soon found their way to his mouth, his thin lips formed a frown. Looking at him I found it hard to imagine him smiling, it seemed like something he didn't do. Though I didn't know him I felt like I had seen him from somewhere, _who was he?_

"Isn't it obvious? I'm leaving" I breathed, I was too tired to care about what I had said, my mind and body were exhausted. There was no way I was getting out of this building in my current condition, I could barely stand. My head continued to pound as I awaited an answer to my confession, I closed my eyes in exhaustion trying to relieve the pain I felt.

"Go back to bed, you're going to wake up everyone with the noise you're making" he said crossing his arms, I grunted in response _._ I ignored his comment and shakily moved one foot forwards, _why was I being so stubborn?_ My movements weren't as I anticipated as within seconds I was on the ground yet again barely being able to move. My body ached from the falls and the impact of my previous injuries only seemed to worsen. I lay drained of all energy on the cold stone floor, I was so tired. . . Suddenly I felt myself being hoisted up, my arm was draped around the mans shoulder as he helped me to stand. He held my right arm tight as he wrapped the other around my waist, it was warm. I felt panic rising in my system as I realized how close he was. He stood up slowly, his movement abled me to be lifted off the ground. My unsteady feet were resting against the hard floor, I breathed heavily as I tried to make sense of what was happening.

"Don't touch me "" I mumbled quietly, my eyes now wide open in fear. I felt the urge to push him away but my right arms wrist was gripped tightly by his hand, and my legs, they were too weak to walk let alone kick.

"Tch, stop spurting crap" He growled, I gritted my teeth as I listened to him speak. _Why couldn't I just accept the fact that he was trying to help?_ Thepounding in my head continued as I gripped onto his shoulder for added support. I kept my head down in shame, I was now relying on strangers to help with something that was my fault.

" Fine" I said barely a whisper, had it been any quieter he wouldn't have heard. We slowly began to move towards the stairs I had descended earlier, my legs shook with every step despite putting most of my body weight onto him. My hands gripped tighter onto his shoulder as we reached the first step of the stairs. I willed my leg to move upwards, slowly it lifted up and placed on top of the step. As I tried to lift my other leg up I stumbled, the leg holding all my weight buckled causing me to fall dragging him down with me. I felt embarrassed for being so weak to the point I could barely walk. I looked up and expected him to be angry, bracing myself for a hit but it never came and his face still portrayed the same frown. He looked at me with eyes I couldn't read, I stood up leaning on him for support. With a quick motion he moved behind me letting my wrist go and taking away is supporting hand on my waist, I felt a jolt of fear burst inside of me as he was no longer beside me, I was going to collapse. I could feel my legs becoming unstable again, but before I could fall a hand wrapped around my back while another placed itself behind my knees. In one swift movement I was lifted off the ground and into the arms of the person who had been helping me. I tensed at the sudden action, _what was he doing?_ I swallowed hard as I felt myself being pressed up against his chest, I could feel fear nibbling into my thoughts. Another bead of sweat rolled down my face as he tightened the grip of the hands around my legs and back. Blinking slowly I looked up at his face, it was still in the same pose as I last saw it.

"Put me on the ground" I breathed, raising my shaking right I pushed away his chest. He didn't move an inch, it was like an trying to move a boulder. My hand did nothing as he glowered at me, a sickening feeling rose in my stomach, my fear was getting the better of me.

"Look brat,It's going to be quicker than waiting for you to fall over on every step" he grumbled while looking ahead, I looked down again feeling bad I had wasted his time. Despite how much the straightforward comment annoyed me I knew he was right. Without him I wouldn't have been able to make it this far. Placing my hand back down I sighed, my muscles relaxed unable to take the stress of being tensed up, although I kept in mind I might need to get myself away.

"Okay" was my only reply before we began to ascended the stairs, biting my lip to suppress any comments about his last statement to slip out. With every step I was bounced slightly, it only worsened the pounding in my head. I was pressed against his chest allowing me to hear the rythmic thumping of his heart. It was calming to listen to, the pulsing ran in my ears as I closed my eyes out of exhaustion.

 _Thump_

 _Thump_

 _Thump_

That noise was the only thing that occupied my mind as I tried to ignore the pain in my head, I balled my hand into a fist in an attempt to distract myself. Though he was helping me I couldn't help feeling annoyed at this mans behavior, it was the way his face sat and the remarks he made about me.

"Oi, we're at your room" I opened my eyes in an instant, I looked down to see I was being held above my bed. He slowly put my legs down onto the floor, the wooden floor was freezing compared to the warmth of his arms. Still keeping the hand on my back he stabilized me until I could get into the bed. I climbed under the covers, never feeling so humiliated in my life. How could I have been so stupid to have done something like that in this state? He stood there with his arms crossed watching me until I was resting my head on the pillow with the blankets covering me. I watched as he turned and began to walk out of the room, his footsteps echoing off the walls.

"Don't be stupid and get out of bed again, you've wasted enough of my time with your pointless escape attempt" He said bluntly, turning back to give me a menacing glare. I narrowed my eyes in annoyance, I knew this was true but that doesn't mean he has to say it like that.

"I appreciate your help but don't complain to me about your actions, you could have left me there for all I care" I hissed no longer holding in my annoyance, his gaze only got more intense as he continued to look at me. I felt a pang of regret for allowing myself to say those words to somebody who had done a favour for me without asking anything in return. In fact in this state he could've done anything to me but despite that he helped me, even if it wasn't the kindest words that exited my mouth.

"Brat" was the only thing that came out of his mouth as he closed the door behind him. I wanted to call out and apologize, but I kept quiet. I tried to ignore the irritation building inside me as I rolled to my side. At least only one person saw me on my futile escape attempt, but it had to be that one guy. Clenching my fist I made a promise to myself that I would get out of the building. Closing my eyes the pain in my head soon dulled as I drifted off to sleep.


	3. Awake

Amai POV~

My eyes slightly fluttered open, giving me a view of the wooden table beside my bed. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the rest of the room, lit by golden sunlight. A cool breeze gently caressed my face, _the window must be open_. Yet again my throat was dry, almost to the point where it hurt. The aching in my head had dulled but was still present, while my injured arm throbbed for being in an uncomfortable position of being layed on. Despite this I felt better than the last time I had woken up, _how many days had I been out?_

Rolling onto my back my immediate thoughts contained the last time I was conscious, and the how the person had helped me. Placing my arm over my eyes I groaned in annoyance, _how could I have been so stupid trying to escape in that situation?_ Though thinking back, the only feeling I could remember was the distinct bubbling of fear in my chest. Removing my hand from my eyes I looked up at the now lit ceiling, blinking slowly I wondered what was going to happen to me now that I was in this building. My thoughts were soon interrupted by the creaky sound of a door handle opening and the sound of footsteps entering the room.

Feeling anxious I tried to look at the person without moving, it was a girl who appeared to be younger than me. Wavy auburn hair fell neatly just below her shoulders, her fringe was clipped back to keep it out of her face. She had gentle hazel eyes, a swirl of brown and green hiding flecks of gold. She had a small petite nose covered with dozens of freckles, beneath them was a pair of pink lips. Her uniform was the same as the man that had helped last night, _it must be what they all wear_. She turned to close the door behind her, slowly closing it so there was no sound. Deciding it would be better to ask some questions than pretending to be asleep I slowly sat up. This seemed to startle her when she turned back around, though it soon turned into a warm smile. I tried not to make eye-contact as butterflies exploded in my stomach and my body turned rigid, every muscle burning in preparation to defend myself. It was a habit I had developed after years of living in the underground, though at times it hindered me despite how useful it had been in the past. Though it was nothing special, I suppose that everyone that lived on the grimy streets of the city felt this, you had to be that way to survive. Feeling nervous I covered myself with the blanket even more.

"I'm really s-sorry if I woke you, but it's good to see you awake" she said words spilling out of your mouth, the fiddled with her fingers digging her nails into her skin. _She must be nervous talking to people,_ was the first thing that came to mind, _especially if she can't talk to an underground civilian like me._ Though the fact that I came from the underground could also have been the reason she was so awkward, people on the surface probably have been warned of people underground being dangerous. That's even if she knew I was from the underground. Though I did want to ask her how I got here, and why she came into my room in the first place.

"Why are you in this room?" I asked, my throat croaked as I spoke, swallowing I tried to clear my throat while looking over to see if there was any water where I last remembered having it. The creamy jug was beside my bed, the cup of water already filled, _odd._ Reaching over to the cold glass I picked it up, raising the glass to my mouth I gratefully let the water enter my mouth. I gulped down the glass, satisfied I placed it back down on the bench.

"Well since last Friday, the captain ordered that someone had to watch you all the time instead of checking on you every so often. It's my turn right now, though Hadley just left a few minutes ago" she explained trailing off at the end, now placing her hands behind her back. People had been watching me while I was unconscious, it made the butterflies flap their wings even faster making me feel nauseous with fear, _and who was captain?_ Though she was kind, I felt a nagging feeling that I shouldn't trust her despite how friendly she was being right now. I felt as if she was unsure of what to do now, I decided while she wasn't talking I should ask another question, preferably about how I got here.

"How did I get here, and how long have I been out for?" I asked trying to sound as confident as possible, despite my weak voice even after having a drink. She creased her eyebrows, counting silently trying to think of how long I was unconscious for. Finally, she replied after a long silence of her counting on her fingers.

"You were here since last Wednesday night so that means you have been here for five days, including today which is Sunday. Though apparently, you did wake up late last Thursday night, though I'm not sure of the whole story. As for how you got here, I don't know much about it apart from the fact that you punched Brinley in the face and broke her nose" she rambled on, smirking as she got to the part about me breaking this so called Brinleys nose. I buried my head in my hands in shame, I broke the nose of one of the members of the division that helped my sorry ass. _How pathetic._ The girl obviously noticed this and added another comment to the story.

"Don't worry she's not mad, otherwise she wouldn't have helped you back to the scout regiment. I think her egos been bruised more than her face, so you don't need to be worried about her injuries" she said casually, trying to reassure me that everything was fine, it worked slightly as I felt better lifting my head out of my hands. Though it had dulled the embarrassment and shame that was brought on for hitting somebody trying to help, it did nothing to ease the anxiety that hovered around the question of what was going to happen to me, but I couldn't just ask that.

"Anyways, I bet you're hungry I'll go get something for you to eat. Whats your name by the way? Mines Nevaeh Himmel, sorry it was a bit rude not to introduce myself" she said awaiting my answer, I felt a rush of happiness flush through me as she said those words. She was concerned for my well being, though I was still on edge those words gave me some comfort. _What if the foods poisoned?_ Voices whispered in the back of my head, I mentally slapped myself, _just trust her._ I repeated her name in my head, trying to burn it into my memory, _I should give her mine._

 _"_ Mine is Amai Kurogen" I said before she left, she nodded and closed the door behind her, allowing the room to become silent once again. I felt guilty for accepting the food, I had injured members of their division and had people looking after me while they could have helped someone else. I threw myself back onto the pillow and sighed, _should I try to leave now? I should at least eat first, there is no way I would be able to buy anything with no money. Maybe then I can leave, but how long until they find out about me?_ Stress that had been building up began to hit me, I inhaled a large breath and slowly began to exhale, I repeated the process over and over trying to keep the anxiety from rising. I lightly tapped my forehead, _idiot, idiot, idiot._ I sighed and removed my hand from my head and placed it by my side. _I shouldn't get myself worked up, cross that bridge once I get to it_. I lifted my hand to my head once again, this time I ran it through my hair. I was surprised when I realized that the bandage had been replaced and it was no longer soaked in blood, unfortunately my hair was still matted with the crimson liquid. I sighed and waited idly until my food was brought up to me, _I should make the most of this while I can._

Levi POV~

I sighed impatiently as I awaited for the water to boil for my cup of tea, leaning against the bench I crossed my arms. I occupied myself by slowly tapping my arm with my index finger, once the water boils I would have to go back to my office and read over the reports from the last expedition. I kept a permanent scowl on my face as I thought of the casualties and injuries that occurred, _this last expedition was no better than the last._ I heard somebody approaching the door of the kitchen, I looked up from my thoughts and saw on of the first year cadets walk in. _Ni-Nav-Nevaeh? I think that's what it is. Whats she doing in here at this time?_ Only noticing me as she looked up, she jumped slightly not expecting me to be there. I opened my mouth to say something but she beat me to it.

"Uh, hello c-captain I'm just getting some food for the g-girl upstairs" she stuttered, sloppily saluting me at the end of her statement. _So that girls woken up, what a pain. I guess I will have to sort her out as well._ I glanced back as a quiet screeching noise began to sound from my teapot, slowly building up in frequency.

" Fine, get the food but go back to your training immediately, after you tell Erwin. Don't get anyone else to watch her, and don't waste any time on her" I spat out coldly, before turning back to the screaming kettle which was making my ears ring. I immediately took it off the flame and began to pour tea leaves into the steaming water. As soon as the dried tea leaves hit the water they sunk, slowly a deep red began to colour the boiling water. While I did this I could hear the cadet rustling around behind me, opening and closing cupboards to scavenge for food. As quickly as she came, she left swiftly through the door closing it behind her. _I hope she hasn't talked to the brat upstairs too much, otherwise she might grow suspicious of where she came from._ Though anyone who's never lived underground, wouldn't notice the dense fog covering eyes, or the way her muscles tense at the sight of the slightest threat. I placed the teapot and a cup onto a tray, I hesitated for a moment wondering if I should take another cup for the girl. I shook my head, if anything it was going to be a short chat. As long as she doesn't try to run off again. I don't want to have to carry that delicate body again, she looked utterly exhausted as if she had completely given up as I helped.

I picked up the tray and hastily left the room, closing the door behind me. A cool breeze ruffled my hair as I headed to my office, sunlight streamed in through open windows. It was the last weeks of summer, the leaves on the trees were beginning to turn a bright shade of orange. The days had cooled, and we were no longer sweltering in the heat. Nights had also gotten colder as we slowly moved towards winter. I ascended the stairs up to my office, noticing my foot giving off a small clicking sound every time it contacted the ground. Once I reached the hallway my office was placed in, I noticed the cadet was heading back from the brats room. Leaving the door open behind her, she scurried past me with her head down, at least she wasn't wasting time getting back to her jobs. I narrowed my eyes as I looked at the open door, suspicious of the girl trying to escape again. I clicked my tongue and walked into my office, I placed the tray down on my desk. Slightly sneering at the paper that I had to read over, _what a pain._ Reluctantly, I walked around to the other side of the desk and sat down on my chair. Flipping through the pages of the reports, I skimmed over the text, taking in a few sentences. Setting down the report I reached over to the tea pot, and poured a cup of steaming tea. Placing my hand over the top I took a sip, allowing the searing mixture to flow down my throat. Placing the cup back down I began to read properly.

A small ring of tea sat on the bottom of my tea cup, I had just finished the task of reading the report, and checking over the statistics. So far the building had a silence hanging over it. I found it unsettling how quiet it was, while being surprised that the girl hadn't tried to escape again, or at least made a fuss. Though I felt as if it was none of my business, I wanted to know if my prediction was right that she came from the underground city. I didn't know what Erwin intended to do with her, or why he even let her stay here in the first place. My chair screeched as it was pushed back as I stood up. Picking up the tray with the dirty dishes I walked out of the room, wanting them to be out of my presence as soon as possible. Looking up the hallway I immediately noticed the open door leading to the girls room, _I will check on her now._

I quietly walked to the door of her room and placed the tray outside her door to collect it later, straightening up I entered the room. It was oddly quiet, I walked into the room expecting it to be empty, instead the girl was laying on the bed fast asleep. The trays beside her bed had remnants of food on it, _she must have been awake for a little while._ I walked silently over to the dirty tray and picked it up, the filth of the tray annoyed me. The only part of her visible was her head that rested on the large pillow, compared to the bed she seemed so small and fragile. I glanced at the mop of black hair, it seemed to have a mind of its own as it stemmed off in multiple different directions, covering the pillow her head rested on. The white bandage that was secured around her head, contrasted greatly against the pitch black of her hair. Long strands of her wavy hair fell in front of her face, covering her forehead and most of her soft violet eyes. Her soft breaths ruffled the wavy hair in a rhythmic pattern. Instinctively I reached out my fingers to push it out of her face, but retracted my hand as I heard footsteps coming. I shook my head and walked out of the room, I looked up the hallway to see who was coming up to this level. It was Erwin he noticed me and continued to walk instead of stopping at my office. Quickly bending down I stacked the trays on top of each other. He had reached me as soon as I had finished collecting the trays.

"Levi, have you read the last missions reports?" He questioned, as I rearranged the cups so they wouldn't fall off. I glanced sideways into the room, the small lump under the sheets was still sleeping peacefully.

"Yes, I've just finished" I replied bluntly, looking up to talk to him, "Do you want the reports back?" I questioned curious as to why he came up here. _Surely it wasn't just for the reports, the cadet told him about the girl being awake so that was probably the reason._ Whatever it was, I wanted to get it done as soon as possible so I could finish other work. I had wasted enough time going into the brats room.

"Yes, I just wanted to go over them again. I've heard that the new cadets woken up" He added, my gaze hardened at the sentence. N _ew cadet? She could barely walk the other day, let alone trust people. She would get killed on the first expedition, as soon as she stepped out of the walls. He honestly doesn't want her to join the survey corps, does he? But. . . she was stupid enough to take up the offer, no not stupid. Just desperate to get away._


	4. Proposition

Amai POV~

I was laying in complete darkness, the only light that was present was that of the stars above my head. I watched as they moved in a swaying motion, lifting my hand slowly I imagined grabbing them. I retracted my hand as I accepted they were too far away, though I couldn't touch them I couldn't help but look at the beautiful orbs.

"Amai" a voice broke through the thick silence. I began to sway gently as if my body was moving itself, a warmth was present on my shoulder.

"Come on wake up" they said again.

Slowly my eyes began to flutter open, I was looking at the creamy ceiling, dappled with dim sunlight. To my left there was a figure, slowly I turned my head to see Nevaeh. I layed there staring for a good couple of seconds before I registered what was going on. As soon as I did I shot upright trying to seem somewhat dignified. Turning my head left I looked at Nevaeh who displayed a gentle smile on her face. I could now see her clearly as dim sunlight highlighted her features, the shadows outlining her structure. She still had the same gentle hazel eyes as before _._ Her hair was slightly greasy as it wavered in the gentle breeze coming in through the open window. She was holding a pile of clothing, I held my injured shoulder as it ached dully.

"I'm really sorry for waking you up but you've been asked to meet the commander" quickly apologized lowering her head slightly as she did so. I was confused as to why this _commander_ would want to see me, and what he was going to do. Fear began to swirl in my chest as I imagined him sending me back underground.

"I-it's okay" I stuttered, wondering if it was too late to escape. _That was a stupid idea_ , and there was no way I could climb out of the window without further injuring myself.

"Good to hear, here's some clothes to get changed into. You can have a shower after dinner, but for the meantime just get changed into these" She said passing me the clothing, I outstretched my uninjured arm and took the bundle of material from her.

"I'll meet you outside the door" they were warm from her body heat, I took them gratefully. _Dinner and a shower sounded amazing, but was I going to stay here much longer? She obviously thought so._

"Thanks" I said, she walked out of the room and closed the door. I climbed out of bed as quickly as I could, only to realize I still had my boots on from my escape attempt. _My mother would have killed me if she had I slept on a bed with shoes on._ I shook my head vigorously, _I hated that woman._ Pushing any memories of her aside I continued my task, I placed the clothes on the bed in front of me, I could stand much easier than last time, it was no longer an effort. The ache in my head had dispersed and was no longer present, I was glad that the dizziness that accompanied the pain had vanished. I took a quick glance out of the window to see the same beautiful landscape, only this time the sun was beginning to set. The bright blue colour of the sky turned into hues of orange and purple. Dark blue clouds covered the sky, highlighted in tones of pink. I drank in the sight eagerly, burning it into memory as it might be my last chance to see a sunset. I took a quick glance at the table beside my bed, the dirty dishes were now gone, _Nevaeh must have taken them out._

I sorted through the clothes to find a black, button up, long sleeved shirt. Taking the sling off my arm I carefully put on the shirt, trying not to move my shoulder. I placed my sling back on carefully as I grabbed the next article of clothing. I hastily took off my boots and slipped into a pair of the same white pants that the cadet wore. I put my boots back on as fast as I could, before grabbing the last article of clothing that was a plain dark green cloak. I tied it around my neck, patting my hair down slightly, cringing as I felt the blood embedded in the strands, I walked out of the room to find Nevaeh waiting.

"S-sorry to keep you waiting" I stuttered, hoping I looked presentable. She dismissed it with a friendly wave and began to walk down the hallway the same way I had tried to escape. _I wonder what the commander is going to do with me, he probably knows I'm from the underground._

"It's okay, you were only a few minutes" she mentioned, her short, wavy auburn hair bouncing every time she took a step. Now standing behind her I realized that we were almost identical height, like the man that had helped me she was only a few centimeters taller. She seemed cheery as she walked down the hall, I kept close behind her unsure of where she was heading. My thoughts swirled vigorously with the question of what was going to happen to me, I shuddered trying to keep calm. The door that was opened that night was closed now, and any hopes of looking inside there again was immediately broken. The hallway we walked down was quiet, though I could hear talking nearby. As we reached the stairwell, the same one I had been carried up I caught a glimpse of a green cloak around the corner. The noise of people chattering grew louder, _there was people there._ Ifelt dread leaking into my chest as I realized that I would have to walk through the crowd. I begged that the man would not be there, that would only add to my embarrassment.

We descended the stairs, I still stuck close to Nevaeh. As soon as we entered the hallway I could see groups of people standing outside of their doors, and inside their rooms chattering away. A few glanced at Nevaeh and I, and I could feel their gazes burning into the back of my skull. I sighed in relief as I realized that the man wasn't here. A few people began to talk in hushed voices as we passed, _were they talking about us? Like there was another answer apart from yes._ I tried to ignore them like Nevaeh, but I couldn't help but be nervous. I strained my eyes to look at people without moving my head, one person in particular caught my eye. She had bandaging and tape over her nose, she had a slight sneer on her face as she looked at me. _Brinley. Nevaeh mentioned that I had broken her nose._ She had light blonde hair which almost looked silver in colour, it was in a tight high ponytail that reached just above her shoulders. She had brilliant blue eyes that matched the sky on the clearest days, she was also noticeably taller than me. Guilt twisted in my gut, _she had helped me after I had punched her in the nose. I would have to apologize to her and the man_. I adverted my eyes immediately to Nevaehs back, admiring the design of the wings on her cloak. Whatever fear I had of seeing the commander was gone now that I had seen Brinley, I plead silently for us to reach our destination. I focused on keeping my head down and avoiding peoples curious stares.

We reached the end of the hallway and turned left instead of descending down the stairs. This hall was noticeably quieter as we walked down a few doors, there were no people to be seen. Nevaeh stopped suddenly in front of a door, a few down from the corner causing me to almost crash into her.

"We're here. Now I can't really help you as I don't know what you will be discussing, but good luck" She said turning to face me, the hallway was getting noticeably darker as the sun set outside the window. Though the torches kept burning brightly, reminding me of my escape attempt. I nodded in response to her, I inhaled a large breath and composed myself. _I was ready for this, I could so this, I wasn't afraid, I've lived in the underground all these years I could toughen up for a meeting._ As I gave myself a mental pep-talk Nevaeh knocked on the door, a voice came from inside saying it was okay to come in. She opened the door and walked in, _I can do this,_ I walked in the door after her mustering all my courage. _I'm not scared it's just one person,_ I immediately scanned around the room.

My eyes came across a man sitting behind a desk in front of a massive window, he had blonde hair with slightly darker sideburns. He had blue eyes that reminded me of Brinleys, though they seemed to be slightly darker. Above them, _oh man_ , I held in a snort as I looked at his extremely bushy and thick eyebrows. I exhaled quietly and came to my senses, feeling ashamed to be almost laughing at his eyebrows, especially when they were attached to the the person who will possibly decide my future. I quickly looked around the rest of the room, it was very clean much like the other room I looked in. There was large bookshelves lining the walls which were brimming with books. The window the man was placed in front of, had large curtains tied up on either side. The view outside the window was an inky blue sky, stars were beginning to appear as the sky grew darker. On the floor was a mat that took up at least a third of the floor space, it was decorated with diamond patterns. Orange flames flickered from the candles on his desk and a handful of torches around the room, giving off an orange glow. The room itself was ginormous, and it was more glamorous than anything I had seen underground.

Nevaeh stopped a few meters in front of the desk, I took my place beside her. I was nervous about this meeting, but I had calmed myself down considerably. Nevaeh quickly raised her right hand to her heart, and placed her left behind her. It was some sort of salute to the commander, she turned around swiftly, after giving me a soft smile of encouragement she walked away. The room stayed silent until she exited out the door. The door clicked behind her, causing me to straighten up a little. _I really do hate that sound._

"It's nice to finally meet you Amai Kurogen, as you may or may not know my name is Erwin Smith. I'm the commander in the survey corps division" He said his face stern, and his voice was deep as he formally introduced himself. _Should I say something, he obviously already knows my name, Nevaeh must of told him that._ Thoughts raced around my mind as I tried to think of what might happen.

"Nice to meet you as well, Erwin" I said, dipping my head slightly before making eye contact with him again. _I hate introducing myself to people,_ butterflies tickled my stomach as I stood there like an idiot.

"It seems Amai, that I've had reports come in about you knocking out two military police" He said the same expression as before, I gulped. _I forgot about that little incident, wasn't really my fault though._

"Uh, yeah that happened" I said sheepishly, his lips tugged slightly upwards. Obviously amused with my embarrassment, _Oh great he knows._ I ignored the thought as I continuously wondered what he was planning to do.

"I haven't finished yet, I'm sorry to say, you also attacked and broke the nose of one of our cadets. The consequences for both of those violent actions could be imprisonment, especially attacking the military police. I also have reason to believe you may be from the underground.I have already received complaints, asking for us to hand you over for a trial " He said sternly, I stifled a nervous laugh that was about to break free from my mouth. Inside I felt as if my heart was about to explode, the parts about imprisonment didn't seem like much of a problem as I heard about suspicions of me being from the underground. I tried to look on the bright side, he said suspects, not confirms I have come from underground. At least he didn't mention me disrespecting another one of his cadets, though I have a feeling that very much like Nevaeh, he only has knowledge of me waking up. But that didn't help the fact he was saying I could be imprisoned or he thinks I may be from the underground.

"Despite this I have a proposal for you" he said his voice relaxing slightly, my ears perked up as he said this. _What was the proposal? would it help me stay above ground? Or was it a nasty trick to dispose of me?_

"A proposal?" I inquired, interested to find out what he was going to say, wondering if I was going to benefit from this offer. If I got to stay above ground and out of a cell I would accept it, as long as I wouldn't have the same role as my last job, I shuddered inwardly at the thought, _never again._

"It will give you a place to stay and you won't be imprisoned for your actions. Neither sent back underground if it is confirmed that's where you came from. Though in exchange you have to train yourself to have the same experience and skill that someone that would gain during three years of training for fighting titans, in a few months. This is a challenge by itself, but with your fractured scapula it will be extremely hard. You will have to stay within the survey corps for six months, and until you've been on at least two expeditions. After you have completed those things you can leave the survey corps, and you are free to live on the surface with no attachments to here " He stated, after he said a place to stay and no imprisonment I wanted to agree. I only caught parts of his sentences after that, but if I did this training and expeditions that means I would no longer have to live underground or don't have to be imprisoned. I was free to do whatever I chose, I could finally be free of the burden of living underground. I would just have to survive these expeditions.

"And if I said no to the proposal, does that mean that I would still have to serve time in prison?" I questioned, I knew it was pretty obvious but I didn't want to come off as desperate, it would only be more suspicious on my part. I have heard about people fighting titans before from being underground, they sounded terrifying. Though I had a chance, a chance to escape from the life I had always hated and from the torture I endured during those years.

"Yes, the imprisonment would still be the same. But you should know that this won't be easy, and people do die committing themselves to this division" he answered, I nodded acting if I was still thinking about the offer. Though the only thoughts that came to mind was me living on the surface. I knew what the consequences were, but I couldn't care less. If I died doing this, it would mean I would die with no regrets about my decision.

"I know the consequences of this job, but I am willing to take up the offer" I said steadily, though a small smile crept onto my face as I said those words. They promised me a chance to stay above ground, a place to stay but most importantly a future I could be happy with even if I died. All the butterflies and anxiety had had been extracted from me as I thought about this promise.

"Good, you will meet your trainers tomorrow" He stated, seeming happy with my decision.

Levi POV~

I sighed heavily as I pushed the chair away from my desk, I had finished another lot of paperwork Erwin had set for me. Though I had a lot more to sort through tonight, mostly because I couldn't sleep. I checked the clock on the wall briefly, it was ten minutes into dinner. _I guess I shouldn't miss the meal, I've been doing that a lot recently._ Walking over to the door, I glanced back into the room to see the candles flames slowly flickering. Outside the stars were clearly visible, the silver orbs dotted the sky in intricate patterns. I shook my head and pulled myself away from the view. Stepping out into the dimly lit hallway, I made my way to the dining area. My heels clicking against the stone floor I descended down the stairs. I lost thought of what I was doing of a wave of numbness washed over me.

I was distracted by the thought of the brat becoming a cadet in the condition she was in. She had an injured shoulder and a gunshot wound to the head, I knew Erwin told me it was because he felt bad for the girl, but I couldn't help feeling that it wasn't the whole truth. It just reminded me of the desperation Farlan, Isabelle and I had to get out from underground. _That ended horribly._ I shook my head to disperse my thoughts as I reached the bottom of the first flight of stairs, I was now in the hallway that I met the brat. As I reached the stairs I glanced down the hallway that led to Erwins office, _what was he planning?_ _Where they still in there? Did she take the offer? Of course she did._ I ignored my train of thoughts and descended down the stairs to the bottom floor.

I could hear loud chattering as I approached the dining area. The dim hallways were barely lit as the torches flickered lazily, giving off a hazy orange glow. I sighed and pushed open the heavy wooden door, the chatter died down slightly as everyone looked to see who had come in. I simply ignored them as I walked over to get my dinner, the conversations soon went back to normal as I began to serve up the soup into my bowl. The cold surface of the dish immediately warmed as I scooped soup into the white bowl. Placing it on the tray I reached over for a spoon and a plate to put on my tray. I grunted as I took a small portion of bread and put it on the plate, stepping away from the serving area as I began to walk back out of the dining room. The room was cosy, with soft incoherent speaking serving as background noise, warmth from the fire that burnt on the other side of the room and a misty glow lit up the room. Though I enjoyed the aura the room gave off, I didn't feel like talking tonight, and I could see my squad members in conversation on our table. My exhausted eyes scanned over the crowd, though one in particular caught my eye. _Damn idiot._

Her violet eyes scanned around the room in curiosity, soaking in the new view. Her wavy black hair was out and it reached down to her mid back. She wore a dark green cloak with no symbol on it, underneath was a black shirt, from what I could see she was wearing new white pants and the same boots as she tried to escape with. I sighed again that night as I turned my head as I had reached the door, I pulled it open and slipped out of the warmth and into the cool hallways.

 _Why did she have to agree?_

 **Sorry, I felt this chapter was a bit rushed with Amai agreeing to be in the survey corps, but I hope you enjoyed it anyways.**


	5. Instructors

Amai POV~

The cool summer air blew in through the window, accompanied by the hazy light emitting from the moon. I had been laying in bed for hours, thinking about what was to happen tomorrow. _Had I been an idiot to take this offer? No, anybody in the same position would have taken it._ I continued to battle with my thoughts, lying on my side while staring blankly at the other side of the room. I could smell a sweet scent emanating from my hair, I had finally been able to wash the dried blood off of my body. At dinner I had been able to eat a warm meal, something I'm not accustomed to. The room was warm and everyone seemed to be enjoying interacting with each other, it brought a smile to my face as I thought about the atmosphere. A few people talked to me and asked questions, but I stayed close to Nevaeh the whole time. I didn't want to seem clingy, but she was the only person I really knew. Brinley didn't seem to pay attention to me for the rest of the night, though I was grateful, I would eventually have to apologize one day.

I could barely remember the names of those who did talk to me, Hadley was the only name I could recognize from when Nevaeh first talked to me and mentioned her. She was almost the same height as Brinley, but with a more muscular build. Her curly dark brown hair with hints of red fell just below her jaw, outlining her sharp jawline. Her eyes were round, similar to mine but were slightly sharper. Her irises were a beautiful dark colour, that reminded me of pure black ink on crisp white paper, that lit up with a purple flare when touched by candle light. She had pale bow shaped lips under a slightly broad tipped nose, little scars were scattered across her olive skin. She was kind towards those around her, and she had a strong trait of leadership in her personality. She was quiet and reserved, only contributing to the conversation when necessary. I enjoyed being in her company, and I wouldn't mind being around her more often. _If I was able to do so._ At dinner I felt as if I had let my guard come down slightly, and instead of worrying I was able to enjoy myself for a while. _It felt nice._ Although, I was still cautious of what I said to people, and kept an eye on my surroundings. I was still paranoid that I was going to be attacked or they would somehow find out about my past and despise me for it. Though I stuck by Nevaeh and Hadley, there was something stopping me from trusting them completely. There was a few other people I talked to but I didn't really remember them all. According to their questions about me fighting two military police, it seemed that nobody else suspected I was from the underground so far. _I will have to make sure it stays that way._

So far I haven't seen the man that helped me again, I was getting slightly annoyed that I haven't been able to thank him properly, and apologize. He must have been busy with something during dinner, or my eyes scanned over him in the crowd. I sighed as I thought about my training for tomorrow, I would have to train vigorously to achieve this goal. _Could I do it though? Hopefully._ I was also concerned as to who would be my instructors, commander Erwin said that I would be meeting them tomorrow. Though another question kept gnawing at my mind, _why did the commander take me in so eagerly? Was it pity? Was it because one of the cadets helped out? Or was there a more serious reason behind it?_ My thoughts became scattered as I drifted peacefully into a deep sleep.

I groaned as I opened my eyes, snuggling into my covers further I ignored the dim grey light streaming in through the windows. I felt my consciousness slipping away as I began to return to a blissful sleep, when suddenly, like a punch to the face, I remembered what I had to do today. I violently threw back the covers of the bed, ignoring my morning grogginess. Hadley told me that if I didn't know who my instructors were by the end of breakfast, she would help me, so it gave me some confidence for the day. _What time did they have breakfast again? After the sunrise, I think that's what Nevaeh said._ I slowly got out of bed, stiffening slightly when the cold, hard floor touched my feet, being careful not to make a sound I started to walk over to the uniform I received last night. While doing so I looked out the open window, giving me a view of the dull morning sky. The sky was a murky blue, that faded into a metallic grey as it reached the horizon. Dark blue clouds hovered above, blocking the growing the light behind it. They feathered out across the sky, their rims tinted with a silver glow. The land beneath was barely distinguishable in the faint glow, the light overpowered by the dense shadow. I was guessing the sun was going to rise soon, I ripped myself from the scene once again and picked up my uniform clumsily with one hand. Making my way back to my bed I threw the clothes onto the sheets, I examined the uniform I would be wearing today.

 _A white button up shirt._

 _A short light brown jacket that had the survey corps wings of freedom on the shoulders, on the front left pocket, and on the center of the back._

 _A dark brown sash that would go around my waist, covering my hips._

 _White pants._

 _Dark brown knee high, leather boots._

 _And finally a dark green, hip-length hooded cloak with the wings of freedom on the back._

 _When I put this uniform on, I would have to carry the burden of being in the survey corps. I would have to watch my comrades be killed while fighting, and I would have to accept the fact that I could well die._

 _I was blind to the possible consequences, though seeing a chance in the light after being trapped in the dark for so long, was an opportunity too good to refuse._

 _If this meant a life above ground,_

 _I would do it._

~~~~~Time skip~~~~~

I exited my room quietly, closing the door to my room behind me. Looking down the hall I could see rays of warm sunlight streaming in through the pane glass. The torches weren't lit as the daylight crept into the building. Going the same way I had with Nevaeh I began to walk down the hallway, fully aware of how quiet it was _._ I glanced over to the door that I looked through the night I tried to escape, unfortunately it was closed yet again _. Was I ready too early? Or was I late?_ I ignored the doubts in mind and continued to walk down the hallway, _this hallway was always empty ever since I've been here._ The only two people I had seen in the hallway apart from me, was the man and Nevaeh. I had reached the stairs that I went down to the second level, my ears pricked up slightly as I heard mumbling from below. _There was people down there again._ I exhaled and began to descend down the stairs, the click of my heel becoming a lot more noticeable against the stone. As I went around the corner, I could recognize a few people that talked to me briefly last night. They gave a small wave and I shot a timid smile right back at them. Though I felt embarrassed to be walking through them, even if most of them ignored me. They were all wearing their uniforms, though I felt as though none of them were heading down to breakfast just yet. _Maybe they had already eaten._ I couldn't spot Nevaeh or Hadley, _perhaps they were already in the dining area._ I glanced into the hallway that commander Erwin's office was situated in, shaking my head I continued down to the bottom level.

I continued to walk down the hall towards the dining room, trying to keep myself calm while thinking about what was going to happen during training. As I neared the dining area I could hear muffled voices from inside, I sighed in relief as I realized I hadn't missed the meal. I slowly began to open the heavy doors, I pushed my way into the dining area. The large windows now allowed light to enter the room, lighting it up considerably. People sat on tables talking to one another, not noticing or completely ignoring my presence as I entered the room. I quickly scanned my eyes over the crowd, I noticed Nevaeh sitting on the table beside Hadley and one other. _Should I sit there? I didn't want to be clingy._ Turning my head forward I walked over to the serving table and picked up a plate, I took from the serving trays that were placed out before me. I took a bread roll and a few slices of liverwurst. There was other things to choose from, but I felt guilty to take any more than I already had.

I made my way over to the table where Nevaeh and Hadley were sitting with a young man. I felt nervous to be heading towards them, but kept my cool. I was about to open my mouth to greet them, when I heard the door opening on the other side of the room. I twisted my head slightly to look at the pair entering the room, my eyes widened slightly in the split second that I watched them. It was the same man as before, he had dark hair in an undercut and was the same height as I remembered. He wore a cravat over his uniforms shirt, which was the same as mine, minus the coat. After examining him, I realized that I didn't have the straps on my uniform like everyone else, _maybe I was to receive them today._ His steel grey eyes scanned the room, for a second meeting mine. He stared into them intensely, no emotion showing in his clouded eyes, before he turned his attention elsewhere and didn't glance back. Behind him was a taller woman with medium length dark brown hair, that she kept in an untidy ponytail. She had wide, light brown eyes behind her thin, oval shaped glasses. Under her brown uniform coat she wore a pale yellow shirt, she seemed to have a very different personality to the man as she walked on after him to get breakfast.

"Amai, over here" Nevaeh said, snapping me out of my trance. I turned towards her and threw a friendly smile. I continued over to their table and nervously sat down beside the man, who was opposite Nevaeh and Hadley. He had short, mildly wavy dark brown hair, which was just a tone darker than Hadleys. His unruly bangs, framed his oval face, while some are gathered at the center of his forehead. Under the mop of hair was a pair of narrow eyes. His eyes shone brightly, reflecting the warmth emitted from the sun. They were a soft, light brown, that hinted hues of amber. Rings of a darker hue of brown, circled the pupil. Flecks of burnt sienna, cut through the rings and blended into the warm, reassuring swirl of colours. His nose was slightly crooked, but barely noticeable, beneath it was a pair of pale, thin lips that curled into a gentle smile. He had the same attire as me, apart from the washed out blue shirt beneath his jacket. Even though we were just sitting down, I could tell that he was particularly tall, and his build was average.

"So you're Amai Kurogen right? My names Matthew Retter, it's nice to meet after Nevaeh's been babbling on about you" He said calmly, outreaching his hand to shake mine. I took his hand and shook it gently, flashing a nervous smile. I felt fear bubbling in my chest being on a table with three people I barely knew. We released each others hands and turned to eat our breakfast.

"Hey, I was not babbling on, d-don't be mean" Nevaeh said, her cheeks flushed a pale pink shade. This earned a small laugh from Matthew, who seemed to be enjoying seeing her embarrassed. Hadley was silently eating her breakfast, feeling as if I didn't have a part in the conversation I did the same. I relaxed slightly as I consumed the food, no one seemed to be paying attention to me, which I was glad for. I enjoyed the liverwurst immensely, not remembering the last time I had meat. The bread was soft and fresh, instead of stale and old. Surprisingly the morning had gone extremely well so far, honestly I wouldn't be surprised if I were to wake up right now and this was some sort of dream. I pushed the thoughts away along with my fears of being here and stored them in a space at the back of my mind. _If I was going to go through with this training, I would have to overcome my fears. Otherwise there would be no way of staying here._

My eyebrows furrowed as I thought about the challenges ahead, my stomach still churning due to anxiety about these people knowing about my origin. Before I knew it I had finished my meal, with my stomach full I sighed. Nevaeh was still talking with Matthew, and Hadley had just finished her meal as well, and was throwing a comment or two into the conversation. Matthew asked a few questions, things like my age and how I fought the two military police. I also found out more about the trio.

Nevaeh was 18 and joined the survey corps when she was 16. While Matthew was 26 and joined the survey corps when he was 22. They had both come from the Shiganshina district in wall Maria. I found out Hadleys full name was Hadley Engel, she was 23 years old and joined the survey corps when she was 17. She came from the Stohess district in wall Sina, she was also ranked 2nd in her class.

After we chatted I excused myself from the table, and took my plate up to the dishes table. I was glad they hadn't asked where I had lived before I came here. As I looked around the room I realized that most of the people had left, I spotted the man and the woman on the other side of the room. I let my gaze linger, contemplating whether or not to thank and apologize to him. I shook my head, and told myself I would have another chance to do so. I went over to the table where the dirty dishes were placed for wash-up, and piled my plate on top of the others. I began to walk out of the room, hoping to find my instructors out the front of the building where I was told to meet them. Suddenly, a pair of hands gently placed themselves on my shoulders. I tensed immediately, and prepared to defend myself.

"Ah, so you're the new titan fodder Erwin and Levi had been talking about" a voice sounded from behind me, rather low in pitch. _Who was this? I can't recognize their voice. I knew Erwin, but who was Levi?_ I tensed up a little more and turned to face the person behind me, it was the same woman that I had seen with the man before. She was a few inches taller than me, and I had to look up to make eye contact with her.

"T-titan fodder?" I stuttered unsure of how to respond to her, she was unfazed by my nervousness as she stepped back slightly. She seemed to be examining me, making me feel very uncomfortable. I looked around her slightly, trying to see if the man had followed her and if I would be apologize. Unfortunately there was no such luck, I couldn't spot him anywhere near us.

"Yes, you're my new student! Ah, I'm going to be able to teach you so much" She said raising her voice slightly with excitement. Placing her hands on her now blushing cheeks. I was still confused as to who she was, and who this Levi was. I was glad she was so enthusiastic to be my instructor, but it didn't help the churning feeling I had in my stomach due to nervousness.

"Oh, so you're my instructor then. My names Amai Kurogen, it's nice to meet you" I said, formally introducing myself, holding out my non-injured arm for a handshake. She took it gladly and shook it eargerly.

"I'm Hange Zoe, it's nice to finally meet you Amai. I will be teaching you everything I know about titans" She smiled, I reciprocated with a timid one. She released my hand and put her hands on her hips. _Where was the man, was he going to show up? I really want to apologize._

"So, am I just going to be learning from you?" I questioned, wondering if she was my only instructor. She shook her head before responding to me.

"Nope, Dieter will be teaching you how to ride a horse. Petra will tell you everything you need to know about our formation while on expeditions. Last but not least, some cadets will help you work on the ODM gear" She finished, I stood there still trying to process all the information she had given me. _Who were these people? and what was the special operations squad?_

"Shes not going to be learning the ODM gear with her shoulder, four eyes"I heard a familiar voice come from behind her, my heart immediately began to beat faster. _Should I apologize now, or wait until later?_ I saw a figure walk out from behind her and stand on her right, it was the same man who had helped me. His dark hair glistened in the morning sun, contrasting immensely from his dull grey eyes. His stare pierced into me like a blade, causing me to avert my gaze. I immediately felt awkward, unsure how to hold my arms or stand. The intense icy stare sent shivers up my spine.

"Ah, Levi I didn't see you coming over, aren't you excited Amai is going to be training with us?" Hanji said turning to the shorter male, his gaze didn't move at all as he continued to stare me down. _So that's his name, Levi._ Hanji still had a large smile on her face, thrilled to have a person to share her knowledge with.

"Tch" He muttered before turning his cold gaze away from me, and brushed past my uninjured shoulder. I looked at him as he passed by, a frown still present on his face. I couldn't help but look at his clouded eyes, covered with a film of pain that could not be erased. They were a steel grey, that reminded me of a blade. They were dull and intimidating, with noticeable dark circles beneath them. It was obvious to anyone that he needed more sleep, making me think what prevented him from doing so. Though, I felt as if the shine from his eyes was blocked by the fog, and that I wasn't able to see what his irises really looked like. _hadn't even had the chance to apologize._

"Sorry Amai, hes always grumpy like that" Hanji said in a bubbly tone obviously noticing the disappointment on my face. I turned back to her and flashed a smile, _his eyes would be stunning if I could see beneath the fog._

"That's alright, is it alright to begin learning about titans now?" I asked eagerly, ready to start my training to live above ground.

Sorry for the shorter chapter, unfortunately I will be away and will not be able to update for a while.


	6. Titans

"Titans do not need food to survive, they can last years without consuming anything. Meaning that, they only eat humans for pure pleasure" Hanje stated, standing in front of a large blackboard with the outline of a human figure drawn on it. I was the only other person in the room, she was teaching me everything I would need to know about titans. Pale sunlight streamed in through the large arched windows, lighting up the large room. It had rows upon rows of wooden desks and chairs, I was situated in the front row. I turned my attention back to Hanje's teaching, I shuddered at the thought of killing humans for pleasure.

"So they don't have a reason to eat us, that's just horrible" I muttered in shock, _if they could survive then why eat humans?_ Hanje didn't hear my comment as she turned towards the board and picked up a piece of chalk.

"Titans are able to regenerate their body, meaning that they do not die. Even if their head is blown off, they would be able to grow it back within a matter of minutes" She stated, I creased my eyebrows, _then how do humans kill them?_ These creatures seemed terrifying, I couldn't imagine such a beast existing. Apparently, despite lacking genitals, they look like the average human male, and some disfigurement of their body was always present. She also talked about abnormal's, titans that show intelligence and odd behavior.

"Ho-how do we kill them then?" I asked Hanje hoping for an answer to write down. I had wrote down her previous words of the titans being able to regenerate. I also decided to draw a rough outline of a human figure, it was messy but recognizable.

"Well, there is one spot where they are vulnerable. If you slice the nape, the titan will die and not regenerate. In a few minutes their body will disintegrate and will turn into nothing more than a pile of remains" She said drawing a large circle on the neck of the human drawing, I did the same to my figure. I looked at the first few pages of my book, it was covered in my writing and diagrams. Hanje had given me a full-on lecture, telling me everything to know about titans. She said that tomorrow I was to learn about the ODM gear, which apparently, I will be using to kill these titans.

"Ah, it's lunch, that means my teaching is over" she said stretching her arms over her head, before breaking into a loud yawn. I closed my books and piled up my gear, and held it in my un-injured arm. She watched me slightly as I did this. I got out of my seat and came to the front of the room, she seemed to be waiting for me.

"Thank you for teaching me today" I said as soon as I was in front of her, she just smiled and waved her hands slightly.

"Don't worry, I can't wait to do it again, I love speaking about my little titan babies" she said a blush creeping across her face as soon as she thought of titans. I was confused by her obsession with the creatures, _why was she so obsessed with something that could easily kill her?_ I exhaled lightly, she was passionate about it, and it makes her happy when she talks about them. I guess there's no harm in having a fascination with them, I did find the creatures interesting but not to the same extent as Hanje.

"Do you know if I have anything on this afternoon?" I questioned, I didn't want to be too reliant on her but right now she knew what was going on more than me. She looked up slightly as if trying to remember something, I waited a response.

"Uh, no you don't have anything for the rest of the day. Tomorrow you have another lesson from me about ODM gear, and also you'll be meeting Petra to learn about formations" She informed me, I nodded trying to remember what she said. _I wonder when I will get to try out the ODM gear..._ Especially since Levi said not for a while.

"Sounds good" I replied, flashing a smile at her. I had learnt quite a bit about Hanje during the morning, and I had taken quite a liking to her and her antics. She was definitely an interesting character, but a lovable one at that. My uneasiness had settled as she started to teach me, it was easy to be calm around the titan lover. Though, like for Nevaeh and the others I still felt something holding me back from being completely relaxed.

"Glad to hear that" She said as she began to walk out of the classroom, she gestured with her hand for me to walk alongside her. I did a light jog to catch up to her, slowing down once I was beside her. We turned out into the well lit hallway, it was completely empty. Our footsteps echoed down the empty space, Hanje was relaxed and had her hands behind her head.

"Ah, I'm so excited I will get to see my baby titans within the next week" She muttered quietly, a smile creeping up onto her face as she thought about the creatures. _How was she going to see them so soon?_

 _"_ Sorry for asking but, how come you are getting to see them so soon?" I inquired, she turned to face me her eyes sparkling.

"You mustn't of heard yet, but we're going on an expedition next week" she stated looking at me intently, _but the only place you can find titans is outside the walls. Does this mean that I will have to go on this expedition?_

"Uh, no I didn't know that. D-do I have to go on that expedition?" I asked, unsure of what was to happen to me. I desperately hoped I wasn't, _no way was I ready to go on the expedition._

"Heh, no way since you've just started" She snorted, finding it amusing for me to wonder if I was to participate in the expedition. I was being stupid to assume that I would be.

Time Skip~

I sulked to my room as I exited the lunch hall, Hanje had been kind enough to allow me to sit with her and her squad. She rambled on the whole time about titans, at least now I had the information cemented in my brain. I was sulking due to the fact I had nothing to do for the rest of the day, and I didn't want to seem lazy. I reached the first flight of stairs and groaned quietly, at least everyone else was in the lunch hall as far as I knew.

That's what I assumed until I heard footsteps coming down the stairs, I looked up to see Brinley. I swallowed hard and looked at the ground as I continued up the stairs, avoiding any contact with her. I hoped that she would pass without doing anything. She was right beside me on the stairs and I continued to look down.

"Hey" she said trying to get my attention, I kept quiet as my heart beat faster. A hand sudden grasped my uninjured arm and I was turned around to face her. My face was stoic as I looked into her stunning blue eyes, her blonde hair was done up in a messy braid, with strands of hair sticking out everywhere.

"Ignoring me, huh?" she said with a slight snarl, I gulped and shook my head as her grip on my arm tightened. This only made her scowl even more, I didn't dare move as she held onto me with an iron grip.

"I'm s-sorry about y-your nose" I managed to stutter, my heart felt as if it could explode as it became harder to swallow. _Is that what shes mad about?_ She only clicked her tongue at me before roughly releasing my arm, her face not any happier.

"Don't be so nai-" she stopped as she heard footsteps coming from the lunch area. I turned to see who it was, only to find it was Levi. His gaze was hardened as he looked towards the both of us. I glanced back towards Brinley who now had a soft smile on her face, leaving no trace of a scowl.

"Captain Levi" she called, saluting to him, letting go of my arm. I still didn't know how to salute so I stood there awkwardly rubbing my hands together. Her eyes shone brightly as she said this, as if she was happy to be found. Despite the salute, his scowl remained the same as before. _This is my chance to say sorry._

"Get to lunch brat" he ordered as her salute stopped, she nodded happily and turned towards me. My heart was pounding in my chest as I felt as if I was going to throw up.

"Nice talking to you Amai" she said gleefully, as she turned she whispered another word beneath her breath, one I could not hear. Before almost skipping down the stairs where Levi was standing. She turned the corner and disappeared, I stood awkwardly as I prepared to apologize.

"U-um Levi, I, uh, mean c-captain Levi, I'm sorry about the way I reacted the other night, and thank you for helping" I managed to stutter, looking down at my shuffling feet. I could hear his footsteps coming up the stairs, yet again I was scared of being hit. _Why? I wish I didn't know._

"Spare your breath brat, your apologies won't get you anywhere" he spat as he walked past me, I was still looking down at my boots. Black hair fell in front of my face as I burned with shame and disappointment, _I apologized to both of them, and neither of them cared._

"Sorry" I muttered in an automatic response, I had become so accustomed to messing up that it was a natural response. I could hear him sigh once he reached the top of the staircase, _was it sympathy or annoyance?_

"Help out with chores instead of moping around" he said, I looked up at his figure walking away, _I guess he hates me too._ I shook my head to clear the thoughts.

"Oi, hurry up" he snapped, I jumped slightly. _He actually wanted me to help him?_ I began to walk up the remainder of the stairs, a shard in my gut as I walked behind him, twisting and tuning making me feel sick.

"O-okay" I squeaked out.

Levi POV~

I could hear her footsteps behind me, _so she was actually coming._ I listened to the way our boots clicked against the floor, echoing against the quiet halls. _I had already forgiven the damn idiot the night we met, shes obviously too stupid realize that's its long forgotten._ She followed behind me warily until we reached my office, pale sunlight lit up the room. The bookshelves and cabinets that were full of books and paperwork were as spotless as always. On my desk rested the list of new recruits, and the information that had to be transferred into folders. It was a pain, and I hated doing it every time there was a new bunch of brats coming into the division. Though numbers were beginning to dwindle this year.

"Listen brat, I need you to transfer all this information about the new recruits into their new squadrons folders for the other squad leaders" I said blandly while showing her the pile of paper that contained the general information, I turned to face her, she had a look of interest on her face. She was still fiddling with her hands, a habit I noticed she has.

"O-okay, do they have the captains names in the information" she questioned, obviously wanting to confirm the task.

"Yes, they should have everything, you just need to sort out the squads and fill out some information for them" I replied, leaning over the desk I picked up the pile of paper, I also grabbed a small pot of ink and a quill. Turning back to face her, I passed over the materials gently so she could balance it in her uninjured arm. _It's not like I couldn't do them, it'll just keep her out of trouble. I don't want her getting in more trouble than she already is. Shes been through a lot already._

"Um, where should I fill them out?" she asked yet another question, I ran my hand through my hand and a sigh escape my lips. _Everyone was having lunch, maybe in the room she was having class in before._

"Do it in the room you had class in, or your bedroom, whichever is better" I replied dully, she shifted the papers slightly before replying.

"Alright, I'll go to the classroom, and I'll bring it back by dinner" she said almost to herself, she turned and walked out of the room, I watched her disappear out of the door. Now to finish off preparations for the expedition.

Time Skip~

I sighed agitated, it was 5 minutes until dinner started and the brat still hadn't brought back any of the papers. The sky outside was pitch black, and the only light emitted from the small specks of stars, that were scattered across the sky like snowflakes. I stood up from my desk and pushed the chair back, making it screech against the floor. I curtly walked out of the room and headed towards the spare rooms where she would be having classes, _I'm going to have to go through all of them._ I walked down the empty halls, I could hear cadets heading off to the dining room in the halls below me. I sighed and walked down the stairs, ignoring the awestruck and worried looks people were giving me as I walked past. My heels clicked against the floor as I turned into the corner before the next flight of stairs. Passing past Erwins office I began to go past the classrooms, most of the doors were open, allowing me to look inside, they were all empty.

As I reached the fifth room along I looked inside once again, and spotted the person I was looking for. I sighed heavily, as I looked at their slouched position, she was asleep. I walked over to the wooden desk, guided by the warm light emitted from the torches in the hallway. Walking carefully over to the sleeping brat, I spotted her finished paperwork beside her head, which was resting upon her folded arms. Her black hair covered most of her face, only leaving flashes of skin visible. Her mouth was partially open, allowing a small strand of saliva to come out. I clicked my tongue in annoyance of her sleep habits. Slowly I reached out an arm to wake her up.

Amai POV~

My hands ran through soft black hair, that gleamed beneath candlelight. A soft giggle exited my lips as I continued to play with my fathers hair, my small chubby fingers raked the soft strands. I _remember these times. . ._ I was placed behind him, so I couldn't see his soft dark eyes that watched over and cared for me for so many years. I inhaled the musty smell that rose from his clothing, a comforting scent I had gotten so used to.

"You have your mothers eyes Amai" I could hear his voice, but my fathers face still wasn't visible. These were words he had often repeated to me throughout my childhood, making the distance between my absent birth mother and I seem shorter than it really was. He was right, my soft violet eyes reflected those of my mother. Someone I hadn't known until my father had left.

I felt a soft hand on my shoulder as the comforting image in front of me disappeared. My eyes groggily fluttered open as I snapped back into reality, I sat up slowly and began to rub my eyes. My cheek was wet, indicating I had been drooling, I quickly wiped it away. I finally looked up to see who it was, in front of me was, _Levi? Oh yeah, the paperwork . . ._ I looked down to see the completed files on the table. _Luckily I finished them._ I quickly met the gaze of an unimpressed captain, I sat up straighter and gulped hard.

"It's dinner time" he said blandly, my mind suddenly clicked as I quickly piled the papers and shoved them towards him. I only now realized the pitch black sky outside, and the torches light that filtered in from the hallway. His eyebrows were furrowed as he flipped through the paper, scanning over each page. His dark grey eyes, glinted orange from the flames on the torches outside the room. The dark strands that fell over his eyes, reminded me of my fathers black hair from my childhood. A goofy smile graced my lips as I descended back into my dream. His face doesn't change as he turns away, his back now facing me.

"Grab the ink and quill, you're joining my squadron for dinner" he muttered as he began to walk away, snapping me out of my trance, grabbing the two items I followed quickly behind. _Why am I joining them?_

After quickly putting the items back in his office, we headed back down to the dining area. Me following him behind the whole time, and our footsteps echoing against the empty hall walls. He soon broke the silence with a question I wasn't expecting.

"Where did you learn to write?" He asked, with no hint of curiosity in his voice. We began to descend the first flight of stairs down as I answered the question.

"My father taught me when I was younger" I said back, slightly hesitant with my words. There was no reply. The rest of the journey to the dining room was silent. Though I continuously wondered one thought, _where had I seen him before?_ As we reached the dining area doors, the chatter of people grew louder. I gulped slightly before Levi pushed through the doors, holding it open slightly to allow me to pass through. It was immediately warmer than the cool hallways due to the fireplaces, the orange flames on the torches flickered lightly. I felt myself beginning to sweat, and I decided to quickly take off my cloak. I followed him closely until we reached a somewhat isolated table on the far side of the room. People conversations melted into one as I stepped out from behind him too see who was sitting there.

There was a man with older features sitting down at the table, his slightly curly brown hair was styled into an undercut much like Levis. His small eyes were focused on the cup of tea in front of him, he seemed to be trying to hold it in a certain way. He looked similar to Levi in the way that he wore a cravat and his eyebrows knitted together. Beside him was a man that looked slightly younger, his long blonde hair was pulled up into a neat bun at the back of his head. His strong jawline had a small beard, his dark eyes bore into mine, making me avert my gaze to who was opposite him. It was another man, one with a slightly darker skin tone. His short, dark brown hair was kept to a point at the back of his head. His dark brown eyes were focused on Levi, staring intensely at the captain. _Why was I here?_ I looked down at the table to avoid eye contact as worry built in my chest.

"Oi brat, what's your name" The older looking one questioned me, the words sounded oddly familiar. I was about to open my mouth to speak, but Levi beat me to it.

"Wheres Petra?" _So this is why I was brought here._ A sigh came from the mouth of the man with the bun.

"She insisted on getting food for us, since she believed we weren't eating enough" He muttered, obviously not impressed with her kind notion. Levi hummed in reply before taking a seat next to the man with the dark brown hair, I followed and sat beside him. Placing my dark green cloak beside me. Feeling awkward I decided to answer the mans question.

"I'm Amai Kurogen by the way" I said to the man with slightly curly hair that spoke the same way as Levi. He nodded and kept his eyebrows furrowed as he answered me.

"Oluo Bozado, nice to meet you. You're the one that took out those two military police right? That's pretty impressive, but you know. Taking out titans is a lot harder, if you're a trained professional like me then it's easy to take them ou-"

"Oluo stop patronizing her" A voice snapped, from beside the table. A woman with short blonde hair and large, round eyes with soft brown irises stood there. Her face was slightly twisted with annoyance as she spoke to him. _She must be Petra_. She was holding a tray with a few plates, she placed the tray down on the table and sighed. Taking off the four plates and placing them on the table, she picked up the tray once again.

"I was not patronizing her, I was merely telling her of my experiences" He replied, obviously annoyed. I had now noticed that the other two men had engaged in conversation, leaving Levi deep in thought.

"I'll be back with a meal for you and the captain, okay?" She said sweetly to me completely ignoring Oluo's argument, I nodded as she took off and disappeared among the heads of cadets.

" Anyways, where are you from Amai?" Oluo asked me directly, my heart jumped into my throat as I tried to form a sentence to answer the question with. My heart began to beat rapidly, _what happens if they found out?_ The question I had avoided all morning had suddenly been asked. Anything to confirm I wasn't from the underground, I opened my mouth once again to lie. _Think._

"She's from the Trost district" Levi cut in and answered for me, I gave him a side glance of astonishment . He meanwhile, remained calm and continued to sit quietly, his clouded grey eyes deep in thought. The conversation sailed smoothly after that. Petra soon joined us with the rest of the dinner and we all ate, I learnt that after lunch I was to have a lesson with her. They were all nice people, though, I only talked to them when prompted. Much like all the others, my nerves settled after talking with them. The man that had the blonde hair in the bun was Eld Jinn, while the one with the dark brown hair was Gunther Schultz. I didn't learn anything else about Levi in the conversation, which I found disappointing as I was curious about him.

Time skip~

I headed off to my room earlier than the others, to avoid having to walk back with them, and it was getting late. I yawned loudly as I reached my door. The day had felt a lot longer than it actually was. The door swung open with a squeak, and I trudged into the room before closing the door behind me. _I had a lot to think about, the lessons tomorrow, Brinley, why Levi helped me and all the information on titans I learnt about today. I have to thank Levi for all that hes done for me today._

Stripping down, I quickly got changed into the clothing that they had given me to meet Erwin Smith, _why did he let me into the survey corps anyways?_ Ignoring the question built up over today,I flopped onto my bed with an exaggerated sigh, careful not to land on my injured arm. I snuggled under the blankets and closed my eyes, trying to drift off into a peaceful slumber.

Levi POV~

I muttered under my breath about how stupid that damn brat was, the soft material of her cloak was bundled in my arms. I ran a hand through my soft hair and sighed quietly, _of course she would forget her cloak._ I finally reached the destination of her room and opened the wooden door, walking out of the hallway and into the dark room. I could barely make out a lump on the bed, faced towards the wall. I huffed before walking over the foot of her bed and placing down the green cloak. Taking one last look at her I began to walk out of my room and back to my office.

"Levi, thank you" I heard a small voice say, muffled by the covers covering the person it came from. The ends of my mouth twitched as I suppressed a instinctive smile.

"It's Captain Levi brat" I said before walking out into the hallway, closing the door behind me with a click.

 **Sorry for taking so long with this chapter, I've been away for a while. I hope you enjoyed it anyways.**


	7. Preperations

Amai POV~

The next few days had dragged along slowly, the only difference between them was the lessons I had been taking. Throughout this time I had continued doing odd jobs for Captain Levi as a way to fend away the boredom of doing nothing all day. And to to pay back the favours he had done me, even though I had spent all this time around him, I still couldn't figure out where I had seen him before. Today was the day before the expedition and I had just finished my lesson with Petra. She had drilled the meanings of the different flares into my head, and the direction the regiment was to move depending on where the flare was. My head was pounding from the long and tedious lesson. I was carrying my books in my arms as I headed to my bedroom, I found it odd that I was in a single bedroom while other cadets were bundled together in rooms, _maybe they don't trust me. That's understandable._

Brinley hadn't bothered me again, probably because I haven't been alone. Next time I will stand up to her instead of being scared. My confidence had grown in the past days and I wasn't as nervous as before, the regiment was warm and welcoming and I was treated like a cadet that had been there for years. Of course I was still slightly weary of these people, but my outer walls had been chipped away by every smile and kind gesture. I pushed open the door to my room and lazily placed down the books on the table beside my bed. With a deep sigh, I plonked myself down on my bed. I had this afternoon free, though, unfortunately, everyone was preparing for the expedition, leaving me by myself. I groaned and fell onto my back, leaving my legs hanging off the edge of the bed. I laid there trying to relax, when I heard a impatient knock on my door.

"Come in" I called, quickly pulling myself into an upright position. Hanje burst through the door, her brown locks of hair flying madly as she dashed into the room. She came to stand in front of me, her face right in front of mine.

"Amai, have you ever watched ODM gear in use?" she practically yelled in my face, my mind instantly remembering times in the underground. I could remember a trio, knocking down a cart of food, and . . . the survey corps. I was being moved from place to place then, though, that was the first time I had seen something as beautiful as the ability to soar through the sky, and have the freedom of a bird. I was kicked and told to keep moving after stopping to look the three, who's faces had never been burned into my mind. It was a short memory, one that I had gained last year.

"Ugh, once" I muttered, hoping she wouldn't ask where.

"Well, get ready to see the pros in action, the special operations squad is practising, come on!" She yelled, making my head pound harder, I had no choice as she grabbed my uninjured arm and ran out of the door with me behind. I couldn't help but smile as we ran, I had become closer to Hanje throughout the week, and everyone else that I now considered friends. We sprinted through the building, Hanjes grip not once loosened as we burst out the front of the building and into the warm, summer air. As Autumn was nearing, the trees were beginning to turn orange, though there were a few which remained the same green shade as before. Next week was to be the first week of Autumn, meaning the days would become cooler. The landscape was a blur as we ran towards towering trees a few hundred metres away. I could recognise stables out of the corner of my eye, _I had a lesson there yesterday about horses commands._ Our feet thudded against the ground as we approached the trees. By now both of us were beginning to get out of breath, we stopped at the edge of the forest as we both panted.

"Come on, this way" she yelled as she continued to drag me, I panted as we ran, _long distance running isn't my thing._ I was thankful when we stopped in front of a large wooden contraption, shaped as a _human?_ Hanje finally let go of my hand allowing me to take in a few deep breaths and regain my composure. A large wooden log was placed on the nape of the figure, being used as a representation of a titans nape. Two cadets were placed alongside the figure, holding onto ropes, connecting to the body, obviously to move it.

"Watch this Amai" I nodded in response, already anticipating what was to happen. The sounds of a machine whirring soon appeared, two hooks penetrated the titans nape. My eyes widened, _those movements._ The titan shifted as the two cadets pulled on the ropes, in a flash the hooks were readjusted, now hooked into a thick tree branch, and I was able to see the person who was gracefully using the ODM gear. _Levi_ , he turned in mid air and used a spurt of gas to propel towards the nape, in a clean swipe the wood had a deep slice, cutting through to the figure. _You've got to be kidding me..._

"That's the work of humanity's greatest soldier, GO LEVI!" She yelled enthusiastically as he sped away, while I was left with my jaw hanging open. He sped away without a word, he was either ignoring us, or didn't hear Hanje. Hanje turned to me, wondering as to why I was so quiet, _could it be? It's impossible, I knew he suspected I was from the underground, but this!_

"Looks like someones got an admirer" I heard Hanje snort, I closed my jaw and looked as serious as I could. _Was this why he stood up for me, and lied about where I was born?_ I desperately tried to keep calm as I continued to think. _Does that mean the other two are here, no, they would be with him, right?_ The image of the trio on ODM gear kept reappearing in my mind.

"Pfft, it's not like that" I said back, while my thoughts were screaming. _There is no way. I should ask Hanje, but that would just make her suspicious as to why I was asking. I will have to ask him directly. . ._

"Alright, alright, anyways what do you think?"She asked with a wide grin spreading across her face.

"Its amazing, I can't wait to use it" I muttered, imagining myself flying to great heights and the wind using past me as I sped along. Being able to soar across azure skies, unable to be touched by the filth of the underground. A smile crept onto my face, as my eyes softened, _It will be like I'm free. After all these years I'm so close to achieving what I have always wanted._

"Great, but just let your scapula heal first" She stated, I smiled sheepishly, while looking down at my arm in the sling.I frowned _, I wonder how long from now._ My daydreams were shattered as I was brought back to reality of a broken shoulder bone and months of training.

"Cheer up Amai, it's been a week already, only five more to go" she smiled, I reciprocated with a small one, _it sounds a lot longer when she says it out loud._

 _Time Skip~_

The warm, bubbly room I usually walked into for dinner had completely changed. CHills ran down my spine as I thought what these people would have to face tomorrow. Nervous mutters arose from the tables, food was left untouched while others sat quietly with a blank expression on their face. Even the room seemed colder tonight, and even the warmth emitted from the blazing fire couldn't give me comfort as I moved towards my friends table. I spotted them on their usual table, Nevaeh was sitting quietly with her food barely touched, Hadley was eating hers silently and Matthew was shovelling down his food as if nothing was different. placing down my plate, I sat beside Nevaeh. Tonight dinner was potato soup and bread, a simple but filling dinner. I was greeted by a small smile from Nevaeh, her hazel eyes looking slightly dull. I gave her one back, trying to reassue that things would be alright. I didn't know what to say, _what do you tell someone with the uncertainty of whether they would live or not._ I could speak from personal experience, but the words couldn't form in my mouth, I found it impossible to describe the feeling I had.

"Nevaeh, you should eat, you'll need need the strength for tomorrow" I heard Hadleys stern voice say from across the table. Nevaeh looked up and nodded slightly before eating her food tenderly. I sat there before eating my food, as I did so I could hear people mumbling excitedly about what tomorrow would bring. I was surprised as to how motivated they were to run into the face of death.

"Idiots, they haven't been on an expedition before, i'm sure they won't find it amazing as they expect" I heard Matthew mumble underneath his breath, his eyes dark. I gulped as I continued to eat my meal, _I haven't been on one either, when its my time, I guess I will know the harsh reality of people around you dying in front of your eyes._ Once I had finished my meal I sat solemnly and listened to the sounds of cadets murmuring to each other, I tried to look around in an attempt to spot Levi. But to no avail, _maybe he is absent tonight, or I can't see him._

 _Time skip to next morning~_

All of the cadets heading off on the expedition were about to leave the scouts headquarters, my heart pounded fast as I began to worry for all of the people who were heading out. I stood beside Nevaeh, Hadley and Matthew who were all waiting to be told to mount the horses. Of course I was staying behind along with a few other cadets, as my shoulder was still healing. We were standing a fair way away from the headquarters as everyone prepared to leave. Horses were standing obediently, waiting for their owners to mount them. The day was warm, as sunshine warmed our backs, driving away the chilling feeling of death which was to occur.

"We'll see you when we get back Amai" Nevaeh said to me with a warm smile, obviously hiding fear, it seems no matter how many times you go on an expedition you can never really get used to it. She reached out her arms and gave me a gentle hug, I flinched at the sudden contact but reminded myself she was a friend and I hugged her back with my free arm. I wasn't expecting her to do this, but, it felt nice for a change, I couldn't remember the last time I had a hug. As I was caught up in my thoughts I didn't notice two other pairs of arms wrapping themselves around the two of us, joining in with the hug. I let a smile grace my lips as I realised I was around people I could trust, even after only knowing them for a few days. It then dawned on me, _I'm no longer afraid of these three._

"Three of us leave. . ." I could hear Hadley say to us, in a surprisingly soft tone, different to the stern one I was used to.

"And three of us come back" the other two responded as our hug broke apart, these people had obviously cared and loved each other for years. _I hope one day I will be able to share the same bond._

"Take care you guys" I said, wishing themsafety on this expedition. A nervous smile spread across my lips, and they returned the same gesture.

"All cadets in positions!" I could hear Erwins powerful voice boom, _that reminds me._ After sharing a few quick words the three of them mounted their horses and got in position. I waved to them before moving away. _I hadn't gotten the chance to ask Levi last night, he wasn't even in his office. If I see him, I won't be able to ask with everyone around._ I cursed myself for not asking earlier. I began to walk to the gathering group of cadets who were staying behind, when I was stopped by a large brown horse who suddenly stopped in front of me. I stumbled back slightly before looking up, I immediately recognised them.

"Amai, make sure to keep up with those notes, kay?" I heard Hanje say to me, obviously wanting me to keep studying. She looked thrilled, with pink dusting her cheeks, most likely because she would be seeing her beloved titans very soon.

"Sure thing, Hanje, take care out there" I said reassuring her that I wouldn't fall behind because she was about to leave.

"Don't worry bout me Amai, my babies won't harm me" she said with a large grin before riding off, _At least shes enthusiastic about this._ Her horse snorted as she began to trot over to the formation. I began to turn away once again, when another horse came up behind me. I shuddered as I could feel its hot breath bearing down on my short stature. I turned around to face the horse, who has a beautiful, shimmering, black coat. I looked up to meet the eyes of who was sitting atop of it.

"You better not try and escape again, shitty brat" I heard Captain Levi say down to me, I felt immediately nervous under his gaze. _But I needed to ask him that question._ I bit my lip, restraining my curious inquiries. _Not where there's other people who could hear._ His black hair fell in front of his dark eyes as he looked at me.

"Yes Captain Levi, and take care" I said in immediate response, I was already regretting my choices of words. I did the salute with my free hand and bowed slightly, I mentally slapped myself for saying the last part as my face heated up.

"Tch" I heard him mutter before turning the horse around and heading off, _I have to ask._ I joined the group of remaining scouts, I looked at the group of brave members of the survey corps in formation ready to head off. Though only one thought occupied my mind.

 _How many of these people will I never see again?_

 _ **Sorry for taking so long to upload, I've had writers block and I'm hoping to upload sooner in the future. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the chapter~**_


	8. Return

Hey, sorry for not uploading things have just been busy at the moment and the chapters kinda crappy I know. I know the chapters short and I don't know when I will be able to do the next one, but I'm hoping soon, hope you enjoy. :)

My gut twisted as if a shard was embedded in it, from the window of one of the bare classrooms I could spot a hoard of horses and carriages heading towards the building, all with cadets on them. I quickly began to pile up my books, wanting to see if my friends were okay, I gulped as I looked out of the large, arched window again. Even from this distance I could tell there a few less members of their party, I felt my stomach lurch as I quickly dashed out of the room. I left my books piled on the desk, promising I would be back to get them later. My shoes thwacked against the floor of the headquarters as I practically sprinted down the stairs and down to the bottom floor. I turned the last corner and pushed open the wooden doors, I could already see a few cadets gathering outside of the building, including a few medical staff. I joined the rest of stone-faced cadets and waited as the returning group came towards us. The sunny day heavily contradicted the atmosphere brought in by the other cadets.

The horses hoofs pounding against the ground seemed sickening as I watched the formation break and people heading to different areas. The injured were lead inside, or treated on the spot by the medical staff. People had bandages wrapped around their heads, arms and legs, blood seeping through the white material. I gulped, a pit in my stomach, the emotions I felt were a mixture of fear and disbelief. My eyes caught the white sheets that wrapped the bodies of retrieved soldiers who had died, beside them was smaller items wrapped in the materials. I almost gagged as I thought of what was inside of the sheets, what horrors they had experienced before dying, I covered my moth and tried to take deep breaths. I tore my eyes away from the scene and tried to spot my friends. I couldn't calm down as I began to look around for my three friends, who were nowhere to be found. My thoughts were clouded as I searched desperately through the crowd. It seemed like time had slowed as people walked past me without a word, their faces stained with the horrors they had experienced. My eyes darted around as I desperately searched the crowd. _Where were they?_

I began to walk as I took my hand away from my mouth and tried to find them, thoughts of the worst possible scenario flooded into my head as I continued to walk. I nervously fidgeted as I continued to walk. My thoughts merged with reality, unable to tell the difference, until I knocked into a sturdy wall. I snapped out of my thoughts and looked in front of me.

"Watch where you're going" I heard a familiar voice say, I looked slightly upwards to meet steel grey eyes burning into my own. I gulped quietly and took a few steps back, his hair was messy compared to how perfect it usually was, his boots were covered in a thin layer of dirt, and despite looking clean, his clothes definitely needed a wash.

"Sorry Captain" I said before saluting as best as I could with one hand, something I had luckily picked up in the last few days. My mind was still cloudy as I said this, too worried about my friends to care if I was doing it right or not. I quietened my shallow breaths as I saluted, not wanting to be seen freaking out, especially by him of all people. I looked up again, the bags beneath his eyes had gotten worse than when I last saw them, the colour had now turned to a darker shade of purple.

Levi POV~

I stood rubbing my face, trying to rid it of the dirt that was now present on my skin. I had slept worse during the past few nights, I hadn't been able to have a wash either, or get out of these dirty clothes. I was distracted when I felt someone bump into my side rather gently, not in a good mood I immediately turned to them and snapped.

"Watch where you're going" I said in a half-hearted threatening tone, I looked down at the small figure. I immediately caught her violet eyes and knew who it was, they seemed quite dull compared to the other times I had seen them. The soft shine was now dim as she breathed unevenly, despite being quiet, it was still noticeable. She took a few steps back before regaining eye contact with me.

"Sorry Captain" She said with a stern salute, she said while continuing to stare at my eyes. She looked out of touch as she her eyes kept drifting to and from the same place, spacing in and out. Her breaths now quietened, but it was easy to see how stressed she was. _She's from the underground, but this is a different type of horror. Though, I suppose that's not what shes stressed about._

"Cadet Nevaeh, Hadley and Matthew are all at the stables, they were assigned to put the injured cadets horses away, they'll be back before dinner" I muttered to her, looking off to the side, hoping to lose eye contact. From the side I could see her face relax slightly, as if she wasn't sure whether or not to believe me. I clicked my tongue and turned around, before she could answer I began to walk away towards the mass of carts. Unable to look in those violet eyes any longer.

"Thank you" came out it a form of a small mumble as I walked away, I rolled my eyes and continued to walk. _Damn idiot._

 _Time Skip~_

I sat at my squadrons table, miserable with what had happened on the expedition. It was true that there was less deaths than the previous expedition, but that didn't change the fact that there was a loss of life. The dining room was the same as the night before we left, quiet and dull, the atmosphere was able to send shivers down anyone's spine. The only difference was that new cadets were now no longer boasting of the glory coming from going on an expedition, instead, they were quiet. Partially because of the past few days, the other was because there were less of them. I barely ate my dinner as everyone else picked at their food, I looked around at my squads familiar faces and was glad they were still beside me. I picked up my now cold cup of tea and took a sip, too tired to care, as I looked around at surrounding tables. I could spot the brat and her friends sitting on the table quietly, _at least she had the decency to silent quiet during these times, she wasn't completely clueless._

The dim evening dragged on as people began to filter out one by one, leaving only a select few behind. My squad and I sat in thick silence until they all turned in for the night, mumbling goodnight quietly as they headed off. Soon leaving me alone in the dining hall as the door clicked shut, signalling that I was alone, I sighed and collected my tray, heading back to my office to finish working on the papers due.

Amai POV~

The next few weeks passed in a blur, between classes and learning the ways of the regiment. Before I knew it I had stayed in the regiment for a month. _One more week until my sling comes off._ Slowly getting off the floor, I stood up and stretched, after a few hours of reading my muscles were tense and I was parched. I walked out of the room, my shoes hitting the wooden floorboards, despite being here for a month I still hadn't moved rooms at all. I didn't want to complain, but, I felt guilty since I wasn't even going on expeditions. They hadn't had another since they were allowing people to visit their families for a few days this month, I was slightly worried about it since, I didn't have a family to return home to. _I'm sure they must allow people to stay here._

As I walked past Levis office I glanced inside, he was scribbling on paper as I passed, his hand running through his hair. I shook my head and kept walking, _why couldn't I ask him that damned question, there was just never a perfect time to. I didn't particularly want to either, since I have never heard or seen about the other two. Were they still underground, living elsewhere or worse..._ My thoughts rambled on until I reached the kitchen, I pushed open the door and immediately grabbed a glass from the shelf. Walking over to the far wooden counter, I placed down the glass and began to pour water from the pitcher beside it. Placing the pitcher back down I picked up the cup and gratefully downed the water, wiping my mouth I walked over to the sink. I quickly gave it a wash and placed it to dry on the side, next to all the other dishes.

I turned around and sighed, a figure was on the other side of the kitchen and I let out a little yelp, shocked that I hadn't noticed. Their ears perked up but didn't turn around to face me, as they prepared themselves cup of tea. From their height and stature I immediately knew who it was, I instantly saluted even though they couldn't see me.

"Good afternoon captain" I said in a surprisingly calm voice, despite having a shock before. Once again there was no response, not a surprise since I had spilled his tea the other day and broke the cup, since then I hadn't been asked to do another job. _I understood why_.

I simply began to walk out of the kitchen.

"When are you going to start training?" I heard hims say from behind me, I turned around to meet his grey eyes.

"It should be in a week" I replied, his grey eyes wandered down from my eyes to the sling that held my arm. He huffed and turned back to the tea he was making, I took it as a sign to go and left the kitchen. We had become closer, but not as much as I had with Nevaeh, Matthew, Hadley or Hanje. I just did odd jobs here and there to help out. _It's not like he would want to become friends with me anyways._

Time Skip~

I picked at my food lazily as Neveah and Hadley held conversation on the other side of the table. My appetite had diminished from the time I had held conversation in the kitchen with the captain. The mumbles of those around me only added to the slight pounding in my head, a sure sign of an oncoming headache.

"Are you alright Amai?" I heard a voice beside me question, I turned to see a slightly worried face. Matthew was looking at me curiously, his eyes forming bags underneath them, I thought that I should be the one asking him that question.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking that's all" I mumbled back before placing my spoon back onto the table, and pushing away my bowl of soup. A slightly sick feeling was settling in my stomach as I ran my hand through my hair.

"You sure? By the way, are you visiting your district when we get to go to our homes for a short while" He asked, I gulped hoping not to be asked that question, I gave a small grin and slightly panicked. No one had asked me that question since Oluo a while ago, it never seemed to be a problem since Levi had covered up for me. _Another question I need to ask him._

"U-uh no, I don't particularly like my mother so I'm deciding not to visit this time round" I mumbled, not telling a complete lie. He gave me a quick glance of sympathy before reverting back to his normal face.

"I understand, my fathers not the best either. But I'm going back home to visit my mother and see how shes been going" He muttered back, smiling when he spoke about his mother, making me feel happy for my friend.

"I hope shes going well, and that you enjoy your time there" I replied back, wondering what it would be like to live above the surface all my life. Even though I had been above ground for over a month, it felt surreal, that I still couldn't believe that I was here. Dinner was quiet that night, as the fire crackled on the other side of the room. Not feeling the best I excused myself early and left the dining room. Entering the dark hallway I immediately headed up the stairs. Unfortunately, I felt an oncoming headache pounding. I sighed as I hurried myself to my room, listening to my footsteps on the stairs I realised I was not alone. As I reached the top of the stairs I realised the captain was walking towards me. Feeling nervous I quickly saluted out of respect. He had almost walked past me when he stopped, the hallway turning silent apart from the quite rustle emerging from the flames of the torches giving off orange light. He turned to face me and I immediately felt nervous. His grey eyes bore into mine as they reflected the light from the fire.

"Stop saluting" he muttered I nodded and dropped my hand to the side, "tomorrow morning meet me out the front before breakfast, do not be late" He said in a slightly harsh voice, I nodded quickly before he walked off. I watched him disappear down the stairs as his boots clicked against the floor. _Whats this going to be for?_ I began to fret as I continued to my room, though, I couldn't deny the hint of excitement present in my emotions.


End file.
